Richland nanny pleads innocent in toddler’s death

A Richland woman pleaded innocent Thursday to allegations she caused the death of a toddler she was hired to care for last summer.

Jocelyn M. Bellon, 29, is accused of causing David T. Schreiber’s skull fracture.

The 2-year-old was rushed to Kadlec Regional Medical Center in Richland on July 18, and died the following day after he was transferred to a Spokane hospital.

Bellon had been alone with the boy and his 3-month-old brother for about 1 1/2 hours when she called the mother, saying the toddler was choking, court documents said.

His mother, Jennifer Schreiber, then called 911.

Jennifer and her husband, Daniel, both were at work at the time.

Doctors determined that David had a skull fracture caused by significant force and hemorrhages in both eyes, and that the injuries occurred within minutes or hours of when the ambulance arrived, documents said.

Bellon is charged in Benton County Superior Court with first-degree manslaughter. The charge includes aggravating factors of victim vulnerability and that the death had a destructive and foreseeable impact on others.

Bellon’s trial was set for Aug. 14.

Her attorney, Scott Johnson of Richland, told the court Thursday that date likely isn’t realistic because of the nature of the case.

Bellon came to court on a summons, and remains out of custody on her personal recognizance.

She’s been ordered to have no contact with children under the age of 18. When around her own two children, she must be supervised by another adult.

This story was originally published June 15, 2017 at 9:42 AM with the headline "Richland nanny pleads innocent in toddler’s death."