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SALT LAKE CITY — A Utah nanny faces charges after nanny cam footage recorded her allegedly abusing twin babies one morning after the parents went to work.
McKenna Newell, 20, of West Valley City, was charged Wednesday in 3rd District Court with two counts of child abuse, a second-degree felony.
According to the charges, the father of the 5-month-old identical twins reviewed nanny cam footage from Jan. 5. After their parents left the home, the babies began crying while lying on the floor and Newell threw blankets on them.
The blanket on one of the babies "covered her face and her cries became muffled, she struggled to get the blanket off and appeared to be frantically kicking," the charges state.
After a moment, Newell took the blanket off the infant, picked her up and shook her, according to court documents. She then placed her in a bassinet. Police say that the baby kept crying, and Newell "aggressively shook the rocker/bassinet."
Newell picked up and held the crying girl until she calmed down before putting her back on the ground with her sister, police said. But when the girl again began to cry, Newell allegedly kicked her in the leg and rib area several times.
Footage from that same morning also shows Newell allegedly putting the infant on the couch "aggressively causing her head to bounce forward," and kicking the other baby "several times as she laid on the floor."
Newell later "placed both children on her lap and is seen on video covering their nose and mouth area with her hand," police said.
A $75,000 warrant was issued Wednesday for her arrest.
