ELIZABETHVILLE, Pa. — State Police have charged a Dauphin County woman in connection to a sexual assault case allegedly involving a former York City Police officer against a 13-month-old baby.
Brianna Shoeman, 26, of Elizabethville, was charged last week with a felony count of endangering the welfare of a child after investigators determined she was aware of the baby's injuries and neglected to seek medical care for the victim for several days.
Steven Cugini, 28, a former York City Police officer, was charged in April with raping the victim. He resigned from the police department on April 18, one day after York City Police Department Commissioner Michael Muldrow said the department began termination proceedings against him.
State Police began investigating the case on April 15, after being contacted by the Halifax YMCA Youth Development Center. Director April Hoke told police Shoeman dropped the child off at the center that day, and staff noted the victim was suffering from serious physical injuries that were not evident on the victim when she was last there days earlier.
Hoke told investigators that Shoeman had texted the YDC on April 12, stating the baby would not be there that day or on April 14. Shoeman allegedly told staff at the daycare that the child sustained her injuries in a fall in the bathroom and that she had also been knocked over by the family dog -- excuses that investigators determined were "implausible," according to the criminal complaint affidavit.
An examination at Hershey Medical Center later determined the victim sustained two broken bones in her lower left leg and had been sexually assaulted, according to police.
In an interview with police, Shoeman allegedly admitted that she knew the victim needed medical care on April 13, but neglected to seek it, police said.
Cugini has been charged with rape of a child, aggravated indecent assault of a child and aggravated assault- attempts to cause serious bodily injury or causes injury with extreme indifference.
