THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, September 28, 1995 TAG: 9509280407
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B5 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: METRO BRIEFS
DATELINE: VIRGINIA BEACH LENGTH: Short : 33 lines
Police have charged the baby sitter of an 11-month-old boy with killing the infant more than two years ago.
With the help of Hal Truong, a Newport News police officer who served as a Vietnamese translator, police charged Ngoc Nhu Le, 25, of the 1500 block of Halter Drive, in the Feb. 13, 1993, death of Jonathan Dang.
Investigators said in 1993 that Jonathan died from either negligence or abuse. Now, they believe Jonathan died from a violent shaking.
The case was revived a few months ago when the Homicide Unit supervisor, Tommy Baum, began researching records during a workload lull. Baum used a search warrant to get information from the apartment complex where the baby sitter lived in 1993, including the names and addresses of residents who stayed there at the time the baby died, court records show.
Police spokesman Mike Carey said the baby sitter was asked by the boy's parents - Chau and Dung Dang - to watch the child while the parents flew to Vietnam for a family emergency. On Feb. 10, 1993, the baby sitter contacted a Dang family member and said something was wrong with the child.
Jonathan was taken to a hospital and died three days later.
Le, the baby sitter, is in jail on $500,000 bail.
KEYWORDS: SHAKEN BABY ARREST MURDER BABYSITTER by CNB