A heartless babysitter found through the caregiving site Care.com abused an infant so severely that the child was left with cerebral palsy, authorities said.
Amber Rath, 37, who had been looking after the seven-month-old boy three days a week since September, was caught on camera in October inside the family’s Washington home shaking and throwing the boy until he stopped moving, according to prosecutors.
She was charged with first-degree assault of a child, second-degree assault of a child and child cruelty, according to Snohomish County arrest records.
The boy’s heartbroken family told investigators that until they viewed the footage, Rath had been communicating with them daily about how happy and easy the baby was to care for.
On October 16, she told the family the child had gotten grumpy and was more ‘clingy’ than usual, records show.
Deputy prosecutor Julia Hartnell wrote in the charges that Rath had also described the child as a ‘fuss-bucket’ because he wouldn’t nap while she bounced him with her foot.
‘As time progressed, it was evident that the defendant was becoming more and more frustrated,’ Hartnell added.
Charging documents stated that upon review of the footage, Rath had the boy on her lap and was ‘repeatedly slamming him into her legs.’
Amber Rath, 37, was caught on camera in October inside the family’s Washington home shaking and throwing the boy until he stopped moving
All caregivers on Care.com are background-checked through the company’s ‘CareCheck process before they are able to interact with families,’ according to the company’s website
The next day, Rath was seen on video holding the child under his armpits and throwing him onto the couch with ‘sufficient force that a loud thud is heard when he impacted the couch.’
The tiny tot stopped crying and became unresponsive and limp.
Rath responded by calling 911 and saying the child was having a hard time breathing and staying awake, according to the documents.
‘He woke up screaming after 30 minutes, so I went to pick him up and kind of laid him on the couch, went to go get his bottle, and when I came back and picked him up, he was like limp and not really breathing,’ she said.
‘He is not really staying awake, so I really need someone over here.’
According to court papers, Rath also reported that she wasn’t sure if the child choked on something. When paramedics arrived, the boy was suffering a seizure. Rath told them nothing out of the ordinary had happened and denied any sort of incident under her care.
After being examined at the Seattle Children’s Hospital, the child, who had no prior medical issues, was found to have suffered seizures, brain hemorrhages ‘too numerous to count,’ and brain swelling.
The doctors determined that his injuries were a result of ‘abusive head trauma’, according to prosecutors.
‘The defendant is seen repeatedly expressing frustration toward the child. Shaking him, throwing him, and handling him in a manner that is shocking and wholly inappropriate,’ prosecutor Hartnell wrote
Rath has been charged with first-degree assault of a child, second-degree assault of a child and child cruelty, according to Snohomish County arrest records
He was also diagnosed with cerebral palsy ‘as a result of the injury to his brain causing issues with the function of his right-side extremities.’
Cerebral palsy is a neurological disorder that can develop due to abnormalities or damage to a developing brain before, during, or after birth, according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.
Rath has been charged with first-degree assault of a child, second-degree assault of a child and child cruelty, according to Snohomish County arrest records.
‘The defendant is seen repeatedly expressing frustration toward the child. Shaking him, throwing him, and handling him in a manner that is shocking and wholly inappropriate,’ Hartnell wrote.
‘We are deeply shocked and saddened by this disturbing incident, and our thoughts are with the impacted family,’ a Care.com company spokesperson told DailyMail.com.
All caregivers on Care.com are background-checked through the company’s ‘CareCheck process before they are able to interact with families,’ according to the company’s website.
‘We are committed to the safety of our members. All caregivers on Care.com are required to complete a background check on an annual basis before they are ever allowed contact with families.
‘This individual has cleared our security protocols for the last five years and has had no prior reported incidents on our platform during this time period. As this is an open investigation, we cannot comment further and stand ready to assist law enforcement,’ the spokesperson added.
Hartnell added: ‘The defendant intentionally harmed a child who had been placed in her trust and care in her response to the child crying more than was typical. The defendant clearly cannot control her impulse to respond violently to frustrations, and as such is a danger to the community.’
Rath was booked into Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office and is being held on a $500,000 bond.
