Baby-Sitter Charged With Injuring Infants

A Santa Clarita Valley baby-sitter once investigated in the death of a 6-month-old girl has been charged with abusing the girl’s brother and another infant left in her care.

Gloria Barone, 54, of Canyon Country is accused of breaking the leg of an infant boy last year and the wrist of another infant boy last month.

A preliminary hearing for Barone, who is free on $7,500 bail, is scheduled Feb. 6 in Newhall Municipal Court.

Barone, a licensed baby-sitter for 15 years, faces two felony counts of child abuse and one felony count of inflicting corporal injury to a child. She was charged in Newhall Municipal Court on Tuesday.

Barone is charged with breaking the left wrist of 3-month-old Jonathon Chong, son of Taek Y. and Enny Chong of Canyon Country, while baby-sitting the boy Dec. 28.

She is also charged with breaking the left shinbone of Michael Donato in May. The boy, who was 2 months old at the time, is the son of Anthony and Charlotte Donato of Canyon Country.

In 1985, Barone was investigated but never charged in the death of the Donatos’ daughter, Jennifer, who died of head injuries shortly after she left Barone’s care, according to police reports.

Doctors determined that the 6-month-old girl was fatally injured while being severely shaken, police said. A coroner’s report said that the girl probably hurt herself in a fall.

Neither Barone nor her attorney could be reached for comment.

Earlier this month, another Canyon Country baby-sitter was sentenced to eight years and eight months in prison in the involuntary manslaughter death of a 6-month-old boy and the abuse of two other infants. Vickie Maas, 28, was sentenced Jan. 9 in San Fernando Superior Court.