LINK TO ARTICLE AND PHOTO OF MC DONALD

From the Jersey Journal:

A 19-year-old woman working at a Jersey City daycare center has been charged with breaking the leg of a 4-month-old boy in her care and failing to get medical attention for the infant, officials said.

Heather L. McDonald, of Summit Avenue in Jersey City, made her first court appearance today on the charges of aggravated assault, endangering the welfare of a child and child abuse. Hudson County Superior Court Judge Paul DePascale set bail at $50,000 cash or bond this afternoon for the employee of The Academy of Learning on Sherman Place, officials said.

The alleged incident occurred on Monday Aug. 6 and the criminal complaint says McDonald injured the child "by breaking the tibia bone of the victim's left leg with her hand."

The child returned to the daycare at least once that week but by Friday the child's mother noticed the boy was not placing weight on the leg and when the leg was touched the child seemed uncomfortable, Hudson County Deputy First Assistant Prosecutor Debra Simon said this afternoon.

The baby was brought to a local hospital where he was diagnosed with a fractured tibia and was later transferred to University Hospital in Newark, Simon said. The Hudson County Prosecutor's Office's Special Victim's Unit was notified and began an investigation that led to McDonald's arrest yesterday, Simone said.

The prosecutor would not provide additional information on the manner in which the child's leg was broken, but said the child is in a cast and is recovering.

McDonald is charged with child abuse and endangering for "failing to seek medical treatment for the victim," the complaint says.

McDonald's attorney, Daniel Welsh of Jersey City, said his client is expected to post bail.

A supervisor was not available for comment at the daycare this afternoon.