56-year-old babysitter charged with murder of 1-month-old Timothy Harmon, whose death was attributed to child abuse

Jeff Mayes — Fri, 16 Dec 2016 11:35:49 -0600

Willa Wickerson | Chicago Police

A 56-year-old woman has been charged with killing a 1-month-old Timothy Harmon, whose death was attributed to child abuse last week in Englewood.

Willa Wickerson was charged late Thursday with first degree murder, according to Chicago Police.

About 2 p.m. on Dec. 7, officers were called to assist paramedics treating the infant, who was unresponsive inside his home in the 6600 block of South Racine, according to police and the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

Timothy was taken to St. Bernard Hospital, where he died at 2:39 p.m., authorities said.

Timothy Harmon | Facebook

Police initially said the boy showed no obvious signs of trauma, but an autopsy ruled his death a homicide by child abuse.

Police said the baby's mother was not home at the time, and the 911 call was made by a babysitter.

Wickerson was taken into custody about 9:25 a.m. Wednesday at her home in the 6700 block of South Parnell Avenue, police said.

The state Department of Children and Family Services — which said it had no prior contact with the family — was also investigating, a spokeswoman said.

Judge Maria Kuriakos Ciesil ordered Wickerson jailed on a $1 million bond, court records show. Her next court date is Jan. 4.

--Chicago Sun-Times Wire

WEEK IN REVIEW: Nine killed in violence in Chicago, including 1-month-old boy dead from child abuse

Jeff Mayes — Wed, 14 Dec 2016 11:00:55 -0600

By JEFF MAYES
Chicago Sun-Times Wire

At least 9 people died from violence last week, including a 1-month-old baby whose death in Englewood was ruled a homicide by child abuse, as Chicago's 2016 murder total neared 750.

As of Wednesday morning, there have been at least 741 homicides in Chicago this year, according to Chicago Sun-Times Wire statistics. If you add in 11 people who died in 2016 after being shot or assaulted in prior years, the number is 752 with three weeks left in the year.

One of those was the death of a 1-month-old boy Wednesday afternoon in Englewood. About 2 p.m. Dec. 7, officers responded to assist paramedics treating an unresponsive infant inside his home in the 6600 block of South Racine, according to Chicago Police. Timothy Harmon was taken to St. Bernard Hospital, where he died minutes later, according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

An autopsy Thursday found Timothy died of multiple injuries caused by child abuse, according to the medical examiner's office. Area South detectives are investigating, along with the Department of Children and Family Services. Police said the baby's mother was not home at the time, and the 911 call was made by a babysitter.

Last week's final homicide was south suburban man fatally shot Sunday afternoon in the Riverdale neighborhood on the Far South Side. Anthony "Mook G" Barr, 45, was sitting in the driver’s seat of a parked blue SUV at 12:04 p.m. in the 300 block of East 136th Street when he was approached by two male suspects, who opened fire before running away, police and the medical examiner’s office said. Barr, who lived in Harvey, was shot in the head and was pronounced dead at the scene.

A man shot Wednesday evening in the West Side Lawndale neighborhood died two days later. At 6:35 p.m., Otis Hatchett, 64, was driving a vehicle in the 1300 block of South Komensky when he was struck in the head by gunfire that came from outside the vehicle, according to police and the medical examiner’s office. Hatchett was taken to Stroger Hospital and pronounced dead at 11:05 p.m. Friday, authorities said.
A man was fatally shot Friday night in the South Side Chatham neighborhood. Derrick Swanigan, 34, was shot in the chest by someone he knew during a fight inside his home in the 8000 block of South Evans just after 10 p.m., according to police and the medical examiner’s office. Swanigan was taken to Stroger Hospital where he was pronounced dead about an hour later. Area South detectives questioned a person of interest after the shooting, but that person was later released without being charged.
A 19-year-old man was killed Friday afternoon in a shooting in the West Side Austin neighborhood. At 3:17 p.m., Shaqwon I. Stidhun was standing in the 5500 block of West Crystal when two men approached and one or both of them fired shots, according to police and the medical examiner’s office. The men then drove away. Stidhun, who lived about a block away, was taken to Loyola University Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead less than an hour later.
A man was killed and three people, including a young child, were injured in a crash caused by a shooting Thursday afternoon in Englewood. Nathaniel Lewis-Edwards, 31, was letting a passenger out of his vehicle about 4 p.m. in the 7100 block of South Morgan when someone approached and began shooting, according to police and the medical examiner’s office. After being shot, he tried to drive away, but was involved in a crash with three other vehicles.
Lewis-Edwards was found inside his vehicle with a gunshot wound to the chest and was pronounced dead at the scene, according to police and the medical examiner’s office. He lived in south suburban Lansing. A 21-year-old woman who was inside his vehicle was taken to Saint Bernard Hospital with minor injuries. A 63-year-old woman and 5-year-old boy, who were inside another vehicle involved in the crash, suffered injuries that were not life-threatening, police said. The woman was taken to Christ Medical Center and the boy to Comer Children’s Hospital.
A man was fatally shot Tuesday afternoon in the North Lawndale neighborhood on the Southwest Side. About 4:30 p.m., someone walked up to 52-year-old Sylvester Rainge in the 1300 block of South Komensky and opened fire, hitting him repeatedly, according to police and the medical examiner’s office. Rainge was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
A 17-year-old boy was killed and a woman wounded in a shooting Tuesday afternoon in the Humboldt Park neighborhood on the West Side. They were outside about noon in the 1000 block of North Harding when a gunman walked up and opened fire, hitting the woman in the leg and the boy in the chest, according to police. Elijah Jones was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where he died 30 minutes later, according to the medical examiner's office. The 21-year-old woman was taken in good condition to Norwegian American Hospital.
A 37-year-old man was fatally shot Monday afternoon in the West Side Austin neighborhood. Lafayette Montgomery was in a vehicle in the 1700 block of North Long about 2 p.m. when someone in a beige vehicle fired multiple shots, according to police and the medical examiner's office. He got out of his vehicle, and was struck in the head and left arm. Montgomery was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where he died about 3 hours later.

Autopsy shows death of 1-month-old Timothy Harmon in Englewood was the result of child abuse

Jeff Mayes — Fri, 09 Dec 2016 12:24:27 -0600

By JORDAN OWEN
Chicago Sun-Times Wire

The death of 1-month-old Timothy Harmon on Wednesday afternoon in the South Side Englewood neighborhood has been ruled a homicide by child abuse.

About 2 p.m., officers responded to a call to assist paramedics who were treating an infant who was not breathing inside his home in the 6600 block of South Racine, according to Chicago Police.

Timothy was taken to St. Bernard Hospital, where he died at 2:39 p.m., according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

Police initially said there were no obvious signs of trauma on the infant. But an autopsy Thursday found Timothy died of multiple injuries caused by child abuse, and his death was ruled a homicide, according to the medical examiner’s office.

Area South detectives are conducting a death investigation, police said. The state Department of Children and Family Services is also investigating, and a spokeswoman said the agency has had no prior contact with the family.

Reports say the baby was home with a sitter at the time 911 was called.

Detectives were questioning a person of interest Wednesday night, but no charges have been filed.

Timothy Harmon | Homicide Watch Chicago

56-year-old babysitter charged with murder of 1-month-old Timothy Harmon, whose death was attributed to child abuse

WEEK IN REVIEW: Nine killed in violence in Chicago, including 1-month-old boy dead from child abuse

Autopsy shows death of 1-month-old Timothy Harmon in Englewood was the result of child abuse