Woman Pleads Guilty To Killing Pittsburgh Infant, Injuring Twin

PITTSBURGH, PA — A woman babysitting a friend's six-week old twins has pleaded guilty to killing one of them and injuring the other while babysitting them.

Nicole Virzi, 32, formerly of San Diego, pleaded guilty on Wednesday to third-degree murder, endangering the welfare of children and aggravated assault, WPXI-TV reported. As part of a plea agreement, she will spend 35 to 80 years in prison.

In June 2024, Virzi called police from an apartment on Walnut Street in Shadyside to report an infant she was babysitting had fallen from a bouncer and had a bump on his head.

Virzi told police she had gone to get the baby a bottle and found him on the floor screaming when she returned.

First responders took the child, Leon Katz, to UPMC Children's Hospital where he was pronounced dead on Sunday. The Allegheny County Medical Examiner's Office ruled the death a homicide and said the cause of death was blunt force trauma to the head.

The baby's twin, Ari, was examined and found to have scratches, bruises, swelling and redness. All of the injuries were sustained while Virzi was supposed to be caring for him, according to court documents.

TribLive reported that Virzi initially denied any wrongdoing to the detectives who interrogated her. Ultimately, however, she confessed to the crimes and admitted to having a longstanding compulsion to harm children.