Dad sentenced to life in prison for death of 7-week-old daughter (Pueblo, Colorado)

Dad JEFF CASIAS is serving a life sentence in the death of his seven-week old daughter. Doctors said "it was the worst case of shaken baby they'd seen."

http://www.krdo.com/Global/story.asp?S=10642262

By Stephanie Wurtz

PUEBLO - Pueblo girl would've turned three years old this summer, if she'd lived to see her birthday. But Jaime Casias died at seven weeks old.

NEWSCHANNEL 13 reported on the conviction of her father, Jeff Casias. He was sentenced to life in prison for Jaime's death. Now, an emergency room worker who first treated baby Jaime speaks out.

The paramedic, Sharon Abbey, says that the most tragic thing about the baby girl's death is that it could have and should have been prevented. "He held her out to me and said, ‘she's not breathing, do something,'" Sharon says of what happened when Jeff Casias brought his daughter into the emergency room in October of 2006.

Sharon immediately started CPR on the baby. "The doctors said it was the worst case of shaken baby they'd seen," says Sharon. Now, nearly three years later, Jaime's father has been convicted in her death. Sharon says she was overwhelmed when she heard of the father's life sentence.

"I was screaming, I was crying," she says, "it was happiness, it was sadness." Sharon says that while the sentence can't bring justice to baby Jaime, it sends a message to parents about how serious it is to shake a baby.

"This little girl lost her life so hopefully others won't and that's why I'm talking to you," says Sharon, "because I really hope if there's just one person out there hears this, that one person seeks help before they hurt their child."

She says parents, grandparents and caregivers should all learn what to do if a baby won't stop crying. "It's something that happens to most parents," Sharon says, "not everyone talks about it, but it does happen."

Sharon says if you've exhausted every resource as a parent and don't know what to do with your baby, call 911 and there will be someone there to help.