Babysitting boyfriend indicted in death of 3-year-old girl (Troy, New York)

Babysitting boyfriend JOHN A. TINKER was watching his girlfriend's 5 kids while she was at work. Tinker claims the 3-year-old girl hit her head in the bathtub while he was watching TV. He says she had thrown up and he put her in the tub just after she had vomited. But if true, why wouldn't he keep an eye on a sick 3-year-old? At any rate, the coroner says her injuries were inconsistent with a fall, and were caused by being hit or punched in the abdomen. Seems like the boyfriend didn't even have the sense to make up a good cover story.


http://www.timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=828491

Troy man indicted in death of girl, 3
Tinkler pleads not guilty to charges stemming from incident in June

By BOB GARDINIER, Staff writer

First published in print: Friday, August 7, 2009


TROY -- A city man has been indicted in the killing of his girlfriend's daughter in June.


A three-count indictment was handed up earlier this week charging John A. Tinkler, 27, with second-degree murder, second-degree manslaughter and endangering the welfare of a child.


Tinkler told police in a statement that Zoe Sandercox, 3, hit her head in the bathtub at their 314 Fourth St. home while he was in the living room watching a nature show on the Discovery Channel.


But a coroner's report filed in court states the child's injuries were inconsistent with a fall in a tub and ruled the girl died from internal injuries caused by either being kicked or punched in the abdomen.


In his statement, Tinkler said the child's mother, Gloria Sandercox, had gone to work and he was watching Zoe and her four siblings. The children were playing outside.


''Zoe started getting whiny and I asked her if she wanted to take a nap,'' Tinkler told police.
He said he later checked on her and found she had vomited the macaroni and cheese he had fed the children for lunch.


Tinkler said he then took the child in for a bath and left her there while he watched a special on cheetahs on the Discovery Channel.


Police said Troy paramedics were called to the girl's home just before 5 p.m. to care for a child who was not breathing.


After paramedics rushed the girl into an ambulance, Tinkler said, he called the girl's mother and told her to meet him at the hospital.


''Gloria was outside the ambulance entrance and she was crying. Gloria said Zoe was dead. I don't think I should have left her alone in the shower. If I was there I could have caught her,'' Tinkler wrote in his statement.


He was arraigned and pleaded not guilty Tuesday. He is in the Rensselaer County Jail without bail.