Babysitter accused of killing 5-month-old girl in her care

TAYLORSVILLE, Utah — A Taylorsville woman is accused of killing a 5-month-old girl she was babysitting.

Paulina Carmona-Simbron, 47, was charged Friday with murder, a first-degree felony, in 3rd District Court.

On Oct. 13, emergency crews were called to Carmona-Simbron’s home on a report of an unresponsive infant, according to charging documents. Doctors at Primary Children’s Hospital determined the girl had “severe retinal hemorrhaging and severe ‘tearing in the brain,'” the charges state.

Carmona-Simbron told police she was an unlicensed day care provider, had not had any formal training in day care, but started watching children a couple of months ago and told family and friends “she wanted work taking care of children,” the charges state.

She told police she had only watched the girl four times prior to that day and that the infant had been “no trouble,” although she had vomited once and cried when she was hungry, the charges state. Carmona-Simbron told police she heard the infant cough while sleeping in her crib just before she stopped breathing.

Detectives told Carmona-Simbron that according to doctors, the infant’s “brain had been torn by some violent physical action shortly before the paramedics had been called,” the charges state. “(An officer) told Paulina that they were told it was not a fall, but a violent shake like a car accident or shaking her.”

After being told the infant was not expected to survive, “Paulina showed no emotion to this news and only responded with an ‘Oh,'” according to police.

Police also gave Carmona-Simbron a doll to demonstrate how she would hold the infant. Two detectives “observed her handle the (doll) in a fashion that resembled violent and harsh movement,” they wrote in their police booking affidavit. “She also physically demonstrated that she held the infant on the torso with both hands, without supporting her head, as Carmona bounced (the infant) on her knee up and down, which is believed to be an inappropriate manner, due to a 5-month-old child not being able to have the strength to support their head.”

The infant’s parents told police that on a previous occasion, their daughter came home from Carmona-Simbron’s home with a bruise on her cheek, the charges state. Carmona-Simbron claimed it was from laying on a toy. But a doctor who reviewed the infant’s medical records and a picture of the bruise concluded “This injury would not have occurred from lying down prone, even if over an object. This finding does, however, elicit significant concern for underlying child physical abuse in the absence of an appropriate history.”

The infant died from her injuries on Oct. 14.

Prosecutors have requested that Carmona-Simbron be held in the Salt Lake County Jail without bail pending trial.

A GoFundMe* account has been established to help the infant’s family with expenses.

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