By: Richard L. Smith
Morris County officials reported charges in connection with the tragic death of a six-month-old infant on July 17, 2024, in East Hanover.
On July 17, at approximately 1:30 p.m., East Hanover Police Department officers responded to a 911 call regarding a pediatric patient in a parked vehicle in a parking lot near South Ridgedale Avenue on Route 10.
Paramedics attempted to save the life of a six-month-old female infant, but she was pronounced deceased at the hospital.
Investigations revealed that the infant had been left unattended in the vehicle for about four and a half hours.
Livia Patelli, 33, of Roseland, the infant’s mother, has been charged with second-degree Endangering the Welfare of a Child under N.J.S.A. 2C:24-4a(2).
She was initially detained at the Morris County Correctional Facility pursuant to Criminal Justice Reform but was released following her First Appearance Hearing on August 1, 2024.
The investigation is being conducted by the East Hanover Police Department and Morris County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crimes Unit, with support from the Morris County Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene Investigations Unit and Morris County Prosecutor’s Office Sex Crimes Child Endangerment Unit.
The investigation remains active and ongoing. Anyone with information about this incident is encouraged to call the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office at 973-285-6200, or the East Hanover Police Department at 973-887-0432.