Babysitter caused infant’s death by ‘violent shaking,’ documents say
The woman accused of causing the death of an Oregon infant she was babysitting is now charged with murder.
Sarah Martin, 37, of Oregon City, was arrested Wednesday on a warrant issued out of Clackamas County.
A grand jury indicted Martin on the charge of murder Tuesday for the death of 7-month-old Izaak Gillen.
She was previously arrested last week and booked in the Clackamas County Jail on the charge of first-degree manslaughter. She posted bail and was released.
On Wednesday, police said she is now being held without bail. She is scheduled to be arraigned on charges of murder and manslaughter Thursday.
The case began on April 6 when officers were called to Randall Children’s Hospital at Legacy Emanuel for a baby with a skull fracture.
Investigators determined that Izaak had been at his babysitter’s house in Oregon City when the injury occurred.
He died the following day.
According to court documents, Martin violently shook the boy, causing the deadly injury.
Investigators said Martin knew the Gillen family through church and had been babysitting Izaak since December 2014.
Izaak’s parents released a statement Wednesday following the re-arrest of Martin.
It said:
“Our hearts are broken over the loss of our son, Izaak. We think about him and grieve for him daily. Izaak will forever live in the hearts and memories of everyone who knew him.
A special thank you goes out to all the support personnel for our family: the Oregon City Police Department, the staff of Randall Children’s Hospital, the District Attorney’s Office, and all others. We especially want to thank our family, friends, and church for their love and support during this time. God loaned us an angel for seven short months, and it is our faith in Him that gets us through each day.
We trust the legal system to determine the facts of the case and to bring justice for Izaak. We believe that, in time, the person responsible for Izaak’s death will be held accountable.”
Martin has a daughter who is now with Child Protective Services.
According to court documents, the father of the girl recently asked for custody, citing Martin’s connection to this criminal case as a primary reason.
