DA Sini: Woman Convicted of Attempted Murder for Trying to Smother Newborn with Pillow
Riverhead, NY - Sept. 27, 2018 - Suffolk County District Attorney Timothy D. Sini today announced the conviction of a woman for attempting to murder her newborn son by smothering the child with a pillow.
“It’s incomprehensible to imagine a mother trying to murder her newborn baby just minutes after he was born, but that is exactly what this defendant did,” District Attorney Sini said. “It’s a miracle that the baby survived and now, thanks to the hard work of Assistant District Attorneys Shauna Kerr and Sarah Skahill, justice was served on behalf of this innocent victim.”
Soily Aparicio Santos, 33, of Centereach, was found guilty by a jury yesterday of Attempted Murder in the Second Degree, a B felony; Attempted Assault in the First Degree, a C felony; Attempted Assault in the Second Degree, an E felony; and Endangering the Welfare of a Child, an A misdemeanor.
On September 15, 2017, Santos attempted to smother her newborn son to death with a pillow immediately after giving birth to the child at her home in Centereach.
A family member who was present in the residence saw the baby with a pillow over his head and called the police. The child was transported by the Centereach Fire Department to Stony Brook University Hospital for evaluation. He did not sustain any serious injuries.
Santos faces a maximum sentence of up to 25 years in prison. She is expected to be sentenced by Suffolk County Court Judge Anthony Senft Jr. on November 1.
The child is currently in foster care.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Shauna Kerr, of the Child Abuse and Domestic Violence Bureau, and Assistant District Attorney Sarah Skahill, of the Case Advisory Bureau.