Manassas Journal Messenger | Mother of shaken baby charged with abuse
The mother of an 11-month-old was charged Tuesday morning with felony child abuse after the baby died from shaken baby syndrome, according to court records.
Chandra Lee Wine, 28, of 14304 Brook Drive in Woodbridge, was scheduled for arraignment this morning.
Wine’s boyfriend, James Maynard Trainor, 20, was sentenced to 16 years in prison Thursday after taking responsibility for the baby’s death.
Trainor entered an Alford plea to a charge of felony homicide. An Alford plea means the defendant does not admit guilt but does acknowledge that the state has enough evidence to obtain a guilty verdict.
Wine’s daughter, Alexus Olyvia Bellamy, was discovered unconscious by 911 responders after Trainor called them Dec. 27, 2002. Trainor, who was then unemployed, was Alexus’ principal caretaker. They had recently moved to 8580 Cold Harbor Loop, near Manassas Park.
Trainor was watching Alexus while his girlfriend was at work when the child suffered injuries that caused her death a week later. Trainor initially told investigators that Alexus fell down several steps while he was using the bathroom.
Autopsy results showed Alexus suffered brain herniation, a spinal cord hemorrhage and retinal hemorrhages. During hearings and in a January press conference, prosecutors said the child’s death was caused by shaken baby syndrome.
Trainor, who is learning disabled and diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, also admitted to causing several of the bite marks on the baby’s leg, back and buttocks. Molds of Trainor’s teeth matched all but one of the bite marks, according to testimony at Trainor’s plea hearing.
When contacted in July after Trainor entered his plea to the homicide charge, Wine told a Potomac News reporter that “I did the best I could” in caring for Alexus. She refused to comment further, except to say she missed her daughter.