Rock Rapids, Iowa — Charges have been dismissed against one of the people accused in the case of a baby who died in Little Rock.
Court records indicate 25-year-old Sydney Schneidermann of Little Rock was arrested on August 31st on first-degree murder and child endangerment charges. Court documents indicate she did an online search for “shaken baby syndrome” on her cell phone three days before taking her baby boy to the hospital in Rock Rapids on September 10th of last year. Tests in the emergency room found the baby’s vital signs were normal and the infant was released that night, but was back in the ER the next day in critical condition. The baby was flown to a hospital in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, where he died two weeks later.
Court documents say 27-year-old Brenann Schneidermann, the baby’s father, was charged with child endangerment causing death, but those charges have been dismissed. Investigators said his wife sent him a screenshot of her research on “shaken baby syndrome” three days before her first trip to the hospital and his “lack of action to protect” the boy contributed to his death. The Iowa Attorney General’s Office requested the charges be dismissed “in the interest of justice.”
An autopsy revealed the infant had fractured ribs and brain trauma. Doctors in Sioux Falls say the child’s brain swelled and bruising on his neck was consistent with child abuse.
At last report, case against the child’s mother continued. She faces a status conference hearing on January 10th.
