One day after her 25th birthday, a woman was sentenced to four months in jail for cutting off her baby's airways in a St. Paul hospital room for 45 seconds, leaving the boy fighting for breath while in her arms.
Katie E. Lewis, of Litchfield, Minn., was sentenced Wednesday in Ramsey County District Court after pleading guilty to domestic assault by strangulation. Charges of third-degree assault with substantial bodily harm and child endangerment that could cause harm or death were dropped as part of a plea agreement.
Upon her release from jail, she'll be on three years' probation and must follow treatment for any mental health diagnosis, cooperate with child protection, attend a parenting class or similar support group, supply a DNA sample and abide by the domestic abuse no-contact order.
On May 2, video surveillance at Children's Hospital captured Lewis pinching her 5-month-old son's nose while covering his mouth. The incident lasted 45 seconds, and caused young Carson to frantically kick.
Carson went limp in Lewis' arms. Medical staff rushed into the room.
The baby had been admitted to the hospital the previous day.
Lewis, a trained nursing assistant, told medical staff that the infant had stopped breathing, turned blue and lost consciousness on multiple occasions.
Lewis, a mother of two, later told police that she was frustrated with her child-care responsibilities and had held Carson's nose and mouth closed multiple times.
