Mother Accused Of Killing Baby After Rolling On Top Of Her Enters Plea: Prosecutor

A 32-year-old South Jersey woman pled guilty to aggravated manslaughter in the death of her 7-month-old daughter, Acting Atlantic County Prosecutor Diane Ruberton said on Thursday.

In January, Lisa Scalia, of Ventnor, was initially charged with endangering the welfare of a child and four counts of possession of controlled dangerous substances: suboxone, oxycodone, heroin, and Lyrica after it was reported she rolled onto her daughter while she slept. She was under the influence of drugs at the time, police said.

Police and emergency medical personnel responded to a home on 5700 block of Monmouth Avenue for a report of an unresponsive infant. They performed CPR on the baby, who was taken to AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center City Division.

The baby was then taken St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children in Philadelphia, where she was pronounced dead on Jan. 8.

Scalia was then charged with aggravated manslaughter after the continuing investigation revealed she gave her daughter methadone, a Schedule II controlled dangerous substance, which led to the child’s death.

She was charged on Sept. 27, but has been incarcerated since her initial arrest in January.

Under the plea deal negotiated on Thursday, Scalia faces eight years in state prison, and must serve six years and nine months of her sentence before becoming eligible for parole.