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January 17, 2005
Woman made her child sick for attention
January 17, 2005 [Associated Press]
OSHKOSH, Wis. - A woman who admitted she deliberately made her 1-year-old son sick so everyone would care about her and the boy pleaded no contest to one count of felony child abuse.
Jessica L. Cuevas, 22, faces up to 15 years in prison after a Winnebago County Circuit judge accepted her plea last week.
According to a criminal complaint, Oshkosh police officers responded to Aurora Medical Center in August on suspicion of abuse after Cuevas brought her son in for treatment.
Cuevas told police she first brought her son to another hospital that month and received prescription medication for the boy, who was red and feverish, the complaint said. She allegedly said she mixed the medication with cough medicine prescribed to someone else so the child would get sick.
Cuevas said she purposely made the child sick so everyone, including the child's father, would care about her and her son, the complaint said.
It said she told police she had previously let her child's health diminish to the point of hospitalization twice before.
The child is now in protective custody.
A sentencing hearing was scheduled for March 17.
Posted by Nancy at January 17, 2005 08:50 PM