Sheldon man pleads not guilty in death of infant daughter Follow Us
Question of the Day
By - Associated Press - Tuesday, May 4, 2021
PRIMGHAR, Iowa (AP) - A northwest Iowa man has pleaded not guilty to charges filed in the death of his 5-month-old daughter.
Lawrence Ruotolo Jr., 20, of Sheldon, entered his written plea Monday to two counts of child endangerment. His trial was scheduled for Aug. 10, The Sioux City Journal reported.
The girl’s mother, Brittanee Baker, 21, of Sheldon, also faces two counts of child endangerment. She has not yet been arraigned.
TOP STORIES
Prosecutors said Ruotolo lost his temper and injured the child on July 26 when she wouldn’t stop crying at the family’s home in Sheldon. She was treated and released at an emergency room.
SPM NEWS 4.1.21 - 4:04PM
The Iowa Department of Public Health showed 14 more deaths in the state due to complications of COVID-19 in the past 24-hours and more than 800 new cases with 30 more in Woodbury County.
Nebraska Governor Pete Ricketts will get his first vaccination shot tomorrow at Nebraska Medicine in Omaha. The 56-year-old governor had previously signed up for the vaccine online, and was notified earlier this week that he was eligible for an appointment. He’s scheduled to get the first of two doses of the Pfizer vaccine.
On Monday, the state will allow public health districts to vaccinate anyone who is at least 16 years old if they have an adequate supply of doses and appointments.
Associated Press
The parents of a 5-month-old baby who died last year in northwestern Iowa are among three people now charged in the infant’s death.
Lawrence Ruotolo, 20, and Brittanee Baker, 21, both of Sheldon, have been charged with child endangerment causing bodily injury in the July 31 death of their daughter, the Sioux City Journal reported. Stacie Hurlburt, 49, also of Sheldon, has been charged with a misdemeanor count of accessory after the fact, authorities said.
O’Brien County prosecutors say in court records that Ruotolo was caring for the baby on July 26 when he became angry with the infant’s crying and assaulted her, leading Baker to take the baby to a local emergency room. The baby was treated for abrasions and bruising to her head and ears and released, and hospital staff did not notify police or child services of the injuries.