EAST HANOVER — Morris County Prosecutor Robert Carroll, Chief of Detectives Robert McNally, and East Hanover Police Chief Christopher Cannizzo confirmed charges have been filed in connection with the July 17, 2024 death of a six-month-old infant in East Hanover.
On July 17, at approximately 1:30 p.m., officers from the East Hanover Police Department responded to a parking lot on South Ridgedale Avenue on Route 10 for a 911 call of a pediatric patient in a parked vehicle. Paramedics attempted to render lifesaving aid to a six-month-old female infant. The female infant was subsequently pronounced deceased at Morristown Medical Center. The investigation revealed that the infant was left unattended in the vehicle for approximately four- and one-half hours.
Livia Patelli, 33, of Roseland, the infant’s mother, has been charged with second-degree Endangering the Welfare of a Child in violation of N.J.S.A. 2C:24-4a(2). She was detained at the Morris County Correctional Facility under Criminal Justice Reform but was released following her First Appearance Hearing held on August 1, 2024.
Patelli stated to East Hanover Police that she arrived at her office shortly after 8:30 a.m. and parked her vehicle in the parking lot. She reported that at 1:11 p.m., she received a message from the baby’s daycare when she realized that she had forgotten to drop off the child at daycare. Patelli reported that she forgot to drop off the child at daycare and did not realize until she received the message from the daycare.
On video surveillance from the parking lot, Patelli is observed responding to her vehicle, remaining by the passenger side of the car for several seconds, and then returning inside her office building. At no time did Patelli remove the child’s body from the vehicle or attempt to render aid to the child. Several minutes later, coworkers were engaged to attempt to aid the child before East Hanover Police’s arrival.
The child was located in her car seat in the rear passenger seat.
The sunroof (shade) of the vehicle was fully open but all windows were closed.
Patelli stated she always dropped off the child at daycare; the car seat would be removed from the vehicle, leaving only a flat base in her vehicle after drop off.
The investigation was conducted by the East Hanover Police Department and Morris County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crimes Unit, with support from the Morris County Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene Investigations Unit and Morris County Prosecutor’s Office Sex Crimes Child Endangerment Unit.
This investigation remains active and ongoing. Anyone with information about this incident is encouraged to call the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office at (973) 285-6200 or the East Hanover Police Department at (973) 887-0432.
Editors Note: A criminal complaint is merely an accusation. Despite these accusations, the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
