Day-Care Operator Convicted in Girl’s Death
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SAN DIEGO — A 54-year-old day-care operator was convicted in the death of a baby in her care, nearly a year after a previous jury deadlocked on a charge of murder against her for the same crime.
After deliberating for 1 1/2 days, a Superior Court jury on Friday found Suzanne Johnson guilty of assault on a child resulting in death. She faces 25 years to life in prison at her sentencing April 20.
“It’s over, it’s over,” murmured a tearful Crystal Miller, whose 6-month-old daughter, Jasmine, died under Johnson’s care on June 24, 1997.
Jasmine died of blunt force trauma to the head. An autopsy showed two skull fractures and bleeding inside her head.
Johnson claimed the girl fell out of a high chair, but prosecutors said she had been beaten so severely that medical experts compared her injuries to those a baby would suffer in a car crash.
Last April, a jury deadlocked 7 to 5 in favor of acquittal on second-degree murder charges.
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