Newsbreak: Illinois Woman Charged with Attempted Suffocation of 6-Year-Old Boy in Possible Case of Child Abuse at Elementary School

On Wednesday, the Cook County Sheriff’s Office announced that a woman has been charged with aggravated battery of a child after attempting to suffocate a 6-year-old boy. Julie Espinosa, a 58-year-old resident of unincorporated Stickney Township, was arrested by detectives on Tuesday.

The incident took place on February 27, when detectives responded to a possible case of child abuse at an elementary school in Burbank. Upon investigation, detectives found that Espinosa had placed a pillow over the child’s face because he was crying, causing him to vomit when the pillow was removed.

Following the incident, the victim and his minor siblings were placed in the care of a relative by the Illinois Department of Child and Family Services. Espinosa is set to appear in Bridgeview Courthouse on Wednesday for a bond hearing.

The Cook County Sheriff’s Office is responsible for law enforcement in Cook County, Illinois, which includes the city of Chicago. In the case mentioned, the office has not disclosed any further information about the incident, including the nature of the charges against the accused individual or the relationship between the accused and the child.

It is worth noting that the potential sentence of six to 30 years in prison and the maximum fine of $25,000 mentioned in the statement are standard penalties for Class X felony charges in Illinois.

CBS Chicago’s news update by Jeramie Bizzle on March 15, 2023, largely contributed to this report.