VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) — A jury found a Virginia Beach woman guilty of second-degree murder and child abuse/neglect Thursday in the 2019 death of a 3-month old baby, the Virginia Beach Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office said.
A Virginia Beach Circuit Court jury found Shyan J. Csatlos, 42, guilty following a four-day trial presided by judge Afshin Farashahi. Sentencing is scheduled for Feb. 8, 2024.
The Commonwealth’s evidence showed that on Aug. 15, 2019, Csatlos began providing daycare for a 3-month old infant, and prior to that, was a healthy baby. While under her care, the Commonwealth noted that the infant became fussier and on two different occasions, had to be picked up by his parents due to vomiting and extreme fussiness, and he went to the hospital on both occasions.
On the weekend leading up to Sept. 17, 2019, the infant was described by the Commonwealth as being happy and healthy in spending time with his parents and older siblings. Video footage from Csatlos’ home showed the infant taking a bottle around 8 a.m., and just before noon, she called 911 to report that the infant was unresponsive.
First responders found the infant unresponsive and were able to resuscitate him, even with a body temperature of 90.4 degrees Fahrenheit and being purple and blue, according to the Commonwealth. He was taken to Children’s Hospital of the King’s Daughters, where the infant remained unresponsive until his death two days later. The infant was found to have suffered from a brain bleed, broken fingers, bruising, a black eye and retinal hemorrhages.
According to the Commonwealth, Castlos gave “various accounts” of what happened to the infant, “but never could provide an explanation for why (the infant) became unconscious in her care,” and said she provided different stories to different investigators.
The Commonwealth said she provided “varying accounts of how long (the infant) had been unattended and possibly unresponsive, where he was when she noticed he was unresponsive and whether he had been recently fed or had his diaper changed.”
Several CHKD physicians involved with the infant’s treatment, along with child abuse pediatricians, the medical examiner and a neuropathologist testified. All, according to the Commonwealth, “diagnosed (the infant) as having suffered abusive head trauma.”