In October of 2024, we covered one of the most ghastly deaths by drowning we'd ever come across. A 6 year old child, King Shakel Wade drowned in a city canal after he wandered out from his babysitter's yard and slipped into the nearby South Creek canal. Tonight, the woman who was left to care for the child, 56 year old Jennifer Fitzgibbon has been criminally charged for manslaughter and abandonment. The charges come 10 months after the drowning and ACP Romero discussed it today.
ACP Hilberto Romero, OCED
"Reference the drowning incident that occurred on the 13th of October 2024, we have arrested and charged Jennifer Fitzgibbon for abandonment of a child and manslaughter by negligence."
"A thorough investigation was carried out and the file was sent to the DPP who has now sent the directives that she be charged."
She appeared in court today where no plea was taken and she met bail of $5,000 dollars. Magistrate Ludlow Black made an order that she is not to engage in any baby sitting work while the case is before the court or she will be in violation of her bail. her attorney Norman Rodriguez - who managed to get her bail when the magistrate was about to deny it - gave us more insight on the court proceedings today.
Norman Rodriguez, Attorney at Law
"Ultimately she got bail upon an application and no objection by the prosecution, fairly so on the condition that she cooperated with the police so she was granted bail in the sum of $5000 with two sureties of $2500 each and the learned magistrate imposed one condition which is that she must not provide any babysitting or caregiving service while this matter progresses through the court and she is to return to court on the 9th of October 2025 for disclosure and then we will go through the progress of preliminary inquiry and if the magistrate commits it at that point then she will be tried at the high court."
Fitzgibbon is expected to re-appear in court on October 9th.
