Ottawa woman pleads guilty to injuring child

An Ottawa woman pleaded guilty Wednesday to injuring a baby who was not her own and faces up to five years in prison when she’s sentenced Jan. 16.

Rachyl M. Newell, 25, appeared in La Salle County Circuit Court and entered a blind plea to one count of aggravated battery, a Class 3 felony carrying a possible prison sentence of two to five years but with alternate sentencing options including probation.

In exchange for her plea, prosecutors agreed to dismiss two additional counts of aggravated battery. Otherwise, if the judge opts for incarceration, there is no agreement and no “cap” limiting how much prison time Newell could face.

Newell will have an opportunity to address Chief Judge H. Chris Ryan Jr. at sentencing.

Prosecutor Greg Sticka said in open court that the investigation was launched May 1 after the 4-month-old for whom Newell was watching was found to have multiple bruises. When questioned, Newell said her dog had jumped on the child.

That story proved unfounded. A physician examined the child in Peoria and found what Sticka termed a “constellation of injuries in a non-mobile child” not consistent with Newell’s statements.

When questioned anew by Ottawa police, Sticka said, Newell admitted that she “violently shook” the baby in the bassinet and did it out of anger.

Muffled sobs could be heard from the spectator gallery as Sticka described the baby’s injuries and summarized Newell’s admission to police.

La Salle County State’s Attorney Joe Navarro had, at the outset of the case, termed the child’s injuries “significant” and said Newell’s charges could be elevated if the child were found to have been severely or permanently injured.

Although there was no open-court update Wednesday on the child’s condition, Newell pleaded guilty to a Class 3 felony. A grave or permanent injury would have resulted in a Class X felony, and no such charge was ever filed.