Jersey City Babysitter Gets Jail in Toddler's Near Drowning

A New Jersey woman who used drugs and had sex with her girlfriend while the toddler she was baby-sitting nearly drowned in a bathtub last year is headed to state prison.

Shanica Dyer was ordered Friday to serve five years.

The 23-year-old Jersey City resident and her 22-year-old girlfriend, Iris Rivera of Brooklyn had pleaded guilty in May to child endangerment.

Rivera was allowed to enter a pretrial intervention program, while the child's mother — who pleaded guilty to child abuse and neglect charges — got two years probation. The mother has admitted smoking marijuana with Dyer and Rivera before leaving the child in Dyer's care.

Emergency medical technicians revived the 16-month-old girl after administering CPR for 40 minutes, but she remains in a vegetative state. It's believed she was under water for 10 minutes, and officials say the three women could possibly face more charges upon her death.

Hudson County prosecutors say Dyer initially claimed the girl bumped her head in the tub and was only under water a few moments.

But Rivera later admitted they only found the girl because Dyer's 4-year-old son entered the bedroom saying "Baby, Baby."

State child welfare officials have started proceedings to take custody of Dyer's son, while the toddler's three siblings have been placed with relatives and are under state supervision.