Bronzed NJ mom: 6-year-old's burns not from salon

(CBS/AP) NEWARK, N.J. - A woman pleaded not guilty in court to a charge of child endangerment following an accusation that she took her 6-year-old daughter into a tanning booth in violation of state law, burning the girl's skin.

Through her attorney, Patricia Krentcil, 44, of Nutley, entered her plea in Superior Court Wednesday. New Jersey law bars anyone under 14 from using a tanning salon.

As reported by CBS Station WCBS New York, Krentcil -- whose skin is bronze-colored from regular trips to a tanning salon -- did not speak during her court appearance, other than to say "Thank you, your honor, have a nice day."

Krentcil said outside of court : "Look at my daughter's picture, she's as pale as a ghost, she has red hair. I'm a great mother, I'm a wonderful mother. I would die right now for her."

WCBS: Nutley Mom Accused Of Putting 6-Year-Old Daughter In Tanning Bed Pleads Not Guilty
Watch: Mother accused of letting daughter, 6, use tanning bed

Her attorney, John Caruso, said outside court that Krentcil will be exonerated, because the evidence will show the child never entered the booth.

"Forget about the presumption of innocence; my client is 150 percent innocent," Caruso said. "She loves that child more than her whole life. She would never, ever allow her child to go inside a tanning bed."

Prior to the hearing, Krentcil called the accusation a lie.

"It's all made up," she said.

She told The Associated Press her daughter got sunburned by being outside on a recent warm day. She said her daughter, however, had mentioned to school officials when she complained of itching that she had been to a tanning salon with her mother.

Krentcil had told various TV stations her daughter was in the room at the salon but not in the stand-up tanning booth.

The child is still living at home with her mother, Caruso told Municipal Court Judge Roslyn Holmes-Grant, though he said the state's child welfare agency is monitoring the family.

Krentcil said she loves tanning and has visited salons for many years but would not do anything to jeopardize her daughter's health.

"Never in my life would I endanger my child by putting her in a tanning booth. I'm not dumb," she said before her scheduled hearing.

Police in Nutley told The Nutley Sun newspaper they were called to the child's school April 24 because the kindergartner was in pain from a "pretty severe sunburn."

[audemus]

She reminds me of an over-cooked turkey. I can't believe she actually thinks she looks good....

[kerrco]

Photoshop anybody? Anything for a good story.

[lololexir]

Sadly this is no photoshop...she was on Inside Edition yesterday and she looked this tanned and brown during their interview. I'm surprised the tanning salon doesn't cut her off.

[rustytj64]

I'm sensing a reality TV show in their future...

[lillyhorton]

What tanning Salon did the daughter go too? Is there a record and what employee placed her in a bed? Did this happen while the mother was tanning thus mom didn't give permission? My kids are pale and burn easily when they go out to play. Did the child have a burn line? In other words was the child wearing a shirt when she burned or a bikini?

[thomderr1]

"Krentcil said outside of court : "Look at my daughter's picture, she's as pale as a ghost, she has red hair. I'm a great mother, I'm a wonderful mother. I would die right now for her."

Unfortunately, tanning like that may make her die sooner than she thinks... How will that help her daughter?

[Ericwvb]

This woman obviously has major psychological body image problems but that doesn't make her an unfit mother, just like obese women with eating disorders can be good mothers. She obviously goes to the tanning salon all the time, and it's not illegal for her to take her daughter. Her daughter is very fair skinned and could easily have gotten a sunburn from the sun. It's absolutely illegal for a child to use these tanning beds, no tanning salon should ever allow it and where is the proof that the girl was using one? She just said she got a sunburn and was at the tanning salon. That doesn't automatically mean she was actually inside a tanning bed.

[REDUNDANTREDUNTANT]

wheres the father?i don't think he'd come forward

[askagain]

Would you come forward if you were the father? Some of us would be too embarassed to come forward.

[REDUNDANTREDUNTANT]

HOW'D SHE GET PRAGENT IN THE FIRST PLACE? A DOUBBLE BAGGER. I THINK THAT BEASTUALITY WAS AT PLAY

[bluesky4now]

Man, you guys are mean :(

[varigdc10]

Michael Jackson and Janet Jackson should have hanged around with this lunatic. She would have cured Michael of his "disease" that caused him to become white, and back to his "normal" self that was really natural and beautiful.

[frequenci]

thanks, i didn't know vitiligo was a fake disease that the media made up. oh wait, it's not. could you email me whenever you get a debilitating disease so i can laugh at you? you need to grow up.

[guest173]

there's parents who let their kids smoke, drink alcohol, even do drugs. I think she let the kid in the tanning booth.