Woman guilty of child abuse
The Rocky Mountain News | June 4, 2000

A child-care provider pleaded guilty Friday to felony child abuse for shaking an 18-month-old so severly he suffered permanent brain damage.

Shawna Pint was baby-sitting 14-month-old Hunter Rodriguez in her Aurora home in October 1998 when he was injured and nearly died. She was a licensed home child-care provider at the time.

"He's getting better every day, but has permanent brain damage and eye problems," said Hunter's mother, Jacqueline Rodriguez.

Pint's guilty plea to child abuse resulting in serious bodily injury carries a sentence of up to eight years, said Michael Knight, a spokesman for the Arapahoe County District Attorney's Office.

Sentencing is Scheduled for September 29.

Hunter, who turns 3 in August, is able to walk and talk, his mother said.

"It's very emotional to hear," Rodriguez said of the plea. "But it gives us some kind of closure t hear her say she was guilty."

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