See What Supposed Trusted Babysitter Did to Employer’s 5-Month-Old Son

It’s been a living hell for Missouri parents, Mariah Ramirez and Derek Podany, since late July, when their 5-month old son was surprisingly diagnosed with shaken baby syndrome. He was consequently removed from their home by Child Protective Services, and now, even though a ‘close friend’ who baby-sat him has confessed to the crime, their baby, Daniel, remains in protective custody.

Heartbroken mum, Ramirez, told Fox 2 in St. Louis, “It’s just upsetting that right now there’s been a confession and we still don’t have him back. It’s been really hard on us, and my son, who had his injury and then was taken from his parents.”

Dad, Podany, wrote on his Facebook page in response to a friend’s query about the situation, “Thanks bud, we gotta be strong and patient.”

According to YahooParenting, trouble started on July 22, when a ‘close friend’ (who remains unnamed) of Ramirez’s spent the day babysitting Daniel. Upon their return home, the parents found their son lethargic and vomiting but assumed it was a stomach illness. When his condition worsened, they rushed him to the hospital and were told he had a subdural hemorrhage (blood on the brain as a result of head trauma), bleeding behind his eyes, and two fractured ribs — all signs that a baby has been abused through violent shaking.

His mom and dad were stunned — especially when, as a matter of routine in shaken baby cases, they were told Daniel would not be allowed to go back home with them once he was released from the hospital. Instead, he was placed in the protective custody of his grandmother. Eventually, though, Ramirez received a call from a fellow mom she hardly knew, telling her that the babysitter had confided to her about shaking Daniel the day she was with him. Shortly after that, the babysitter confessed to St. Charles County police.

“I mean, we really trusted her and never thought this would have happened,” Ramirez said.

Ramirez declined to make further comments on the issue as she had been advised to wait until the babysitter is convicted, and that is likely when her son can be returned.

Randall Kessler, a Georgia-based family law attorney and past chair of the American Bar Association’s Family Law Section, said it is not uncommon that authorities refuse to return Daniel in this type of situation.

“Until authorities are clearly convinced that the parents are innocent, they will err on the side of safety. If [the separation] lasts longer than needed, over a day or more, the parents may well file a suit for their child — likely a habeas corpus action, meaning, literally, ‘produce the body.’ The first thing to do is to protect the child from further potential harm.”

To avoid such a devastating situation, he advises parents to exercise extreme caution when choosing a babysitter.

“Use background checks. Come home early. And if you live in a state that permits nanny cams, use one. Or even tell the babysitter there is a nanny cam, just to keep them from this type of conduct,” he said.