Police say she confessed to shaking baby, but jury finds Madera woman not guilty

A Madera woman arrested in 2012 for allegedly shaking a baby so badly the child lost much of his vision, hearing and motor skills was found not guilty of child abuse Dec. 14 in Madera County Superior Court.

Madera police said that Natividad Reyes was baby sitting her neighbor’s 4-month-old son in August 2012 when the boy suffered permanent injury while his mother was away at work. Detectives say Reyes admitted to shaking the child.

Reyes’ attorney, Eric Castellon, said the boy’s injuries came as a result of an infection – not shaken baby syndrome, as the prosecution claimed. A language barrier prevented Reyes from fully understanding what was happening when she allegedly confessed, he added.

If convicted, Reyes faced up to 11 years in prison.

Several attempts to reach the Madera County District Attorney’s office for comment were not successful.

This story was originally published December 19, 2016 at 2:37 PM with the headline "Police say she confessed to shaking baby, but jury finds Madera woman not guilty."