US-Based Nigerian Nurse Charged in Killing of Developmentally Disabled Toddler

A Nigerian nurse based in Queens, New York, has been charged in the killing of a special-needs toddler.

The Nurse, Oluyemisi Adebayo, 54, is said to have submerged the 23-month-old baby, Naomi Mondesire in scalding bath water that was 130-degrees. The incident occurred on Tuesday, April 21st, just one day after her employer hired her to take care of the child.

Adebayo was arrested on the night of Wednesday April 22nd, while she was trying to board a flight to Nigeria via London, Daily Mail reports.

Mondesire died from thermal injuries to 50 percent of her body on Monday, three days after doctors at Nassau University Medical Center performed surgery on her.

She reportedly told detectives that she did not know how the baby got burned, as she had used her hand to test the temperature of the bath water before submerging Mondesire into the water.

However, Corey Brock, Mondesire’s father, challenged Adebayo’s claims that she had tested the water before placing his daughter in the tub. He also pointed out that had the nurse been innocent, she would not have tried to flee the country Wednesday night.

According to Adebayo’s LinkedIn page, she has been a licensed nurse practitioner for over 16 years.

Speaking on the case, the District Attorney said the nurse could face up to 25 years to life in convicted.

“The defendant had been trained to heal and save lives – which she is accused of failing to fulfill. The tiny victim suffered extraordinarily painful injuries for several days before she died. This is a terribly sad and tragic case that could have been prevented.”

Naomi’s mother, 32-year-old Cynthia Mondesire, said she had had two miscarriages before giving birth to Naomi – her only surviving child.

 

Photo Credit: Daily Mail