SUNBURY - A 26-year-old Sunbury woman charged with holding a 2-year-old boy upside down by his ankle and throwing him onto a couch in January, has been ordered to appear for a pre-trial conference June 1 before Northumberland County Judge William H. Wiest.
April Baker, who was scheduled to enter a plea Monday afternoon, may take her case to trial.
Baker is represented by Attorney Michael Rudinski of Williamsport, who was busy Monday afternoon serving as defense attorney for convicted drug dealer Cornell Delvalle, 45, of Coal Township, who was sentenced by President Judge Robert B. Sacavage to serve 15 1/4 to 35 months in state prison.
Baker and her former boyfriend, Jason Philhower, 26, who lived together at 634 Susquehanna Ave., Apt. 2, at the time of the alleged offenses, were charged by Sunbury Sgt. Christopher Blase with felonies of aggravated assault and endangering the welfare of a child, and misdemeanors of simple assault and recklessly endangering another person relating to Jan. 12 incidents at their apartment.
Philhower pleaded guilty Thursday morning to a felony offense of endangering the welfare of children and was sentenced by Sacavage to 6 to 23 1/2 months in Northumberland County Prison.
An additional felony charge of aggravated assault and two misdemeanors of simple assault and recklessly endangering another person will not be prosecuted.
Baker, who was released from the county prison last week on her own recognizance, is charged with holding Philhower's 2-year-old son upside down by the ankle and throwing him onto a couch, breaking his leg.
The accusations against Philhower and Baker also include reports of putting the child in "timeouts," where he had to face a wall.
Jonathan Chalkin, who said he was at the house when Baker allegedly carried the child by his ankle and threw him on the couch, told police the boy had no problem walking and that he saw no injury to his leg until then. He also admitted, police said, to seeing both Jason Philhower and Baker strike the child on the buttocks repeatedly, both while the child was wearing a diaper and when he wasn't. He also saw both of them squeeze the child's face and yell at him, and put him in the "timeouts."
Chalkin, 39, of Sunbury, was charged by Blase with misdemeanors of endangering the welfare of a child and recklessly endangering another person in connection with the same incident. He is scheduled to appear for a pre-trial conference April 13.