Annoyed that her 21-month-old nephew was crying, a Queens woman shook him so hard that he suffered severe -- and possibly permanent -- brain damage, prosecutors charged Thursday.
That was two days after Christmas.
Susan Gil waited four more days as the baby vomited repeatedly and grew weaker before getting him any medical help, officials say.
Finally when little Alexander Delgado had trouble breathing and appeared near death, he was rushed to Elmhurst Medical Center on New Year's Eve, authorities say.
For grabbing and shaking the infant by his arms until he stopped crying and appeared to fall asleep, Gil, 26, of Corona, was charged with first degree assault and endangering the welfare of a child, prosecutors said.
"Instead of protecting and nurturing this helpless, innocent child, the defendant is accused of tragically assaulting him simply because he was crying," Queens District Attorney Richard Brown said. "This case is, once again, a sad reminder that never, under any circumstances, should an infant be shaken.'
Alexander's parental aunt, Gil became his primary caregiver last November, officials said. She is expected to be arraigned Thursday and faces up to 25 years in prison if convicted.
