N.J. babysitter pleads guilty to shaking 2-year-old to death

CAMDEN, N.J. - A Westville, N.J. woman pleaded guilty Thursday to fatally shaking a 2-year-old girl she was babysitting in 2011, reports the South Jersey Times.

Sheila Polanski, 36, was charged with aggravated manslaughter in the death of Madeline McHenry. On Thursday, she admitted to shaking and slamming the little girl on the floor while babysitting the child on July 5, 2011. Polanski initially denied responsibility for the incident.

Polanski said she put off calling 911 and getting McHenry medical treatment for two hours, even after the girl became unresponsive. The paper reports that McHenry had suffered a subdural hematoma - a traumatic brain injury - and died in the hospital two days later.

Polanski had been watching the girl in the child's Gloucester City home, and Camden County prosecutors said emergency responders noted fresh bruises on the girl's body.

According to the Times, the state recommended that Polanski be sentenced to 12 years in prison, becoming eligible for parole only after she has served 85 percent of her term.

Sentencing is scheduled for May 2, according to the paper.