EAST HANOVER — Morris County Prosecutor Robert Carroll, Chief of Detectives Robert McNally, and East Hanover Police Chief Christopher Cannizzo confirmed charges have been filed in connection with the July 17, 2024 death of a six-month-old infant in East Hanover.
On July 17, at approximately 1:30 p.m., officers from the East Hanover Police Department responded to a parking lot on South Ridgedale Avenue on Route 10 for a 911 call of a pediatric patient in a parked vehicle. Paramedics attempted to render lifesaving aid to a six-month-old female infant. The infant was subsequently pronounced deceased at the hospital. The investigation revealed that the infant was left unattended in the vehicle for approximately four- and one-half hours.
Livia Patelli, age 33, of Roseland, the infant’s mother, has been charged with second-degree Endangering the Welfare of a Child in violation of N.J.S.A. 2C:24-4a(2). She was detained at the Morris County Correctional Facility under Criminal Justice Reform but was released following her First Appearance Hearing held on August 1, 2024.
The investigation was conducted by the East Hanover Police Department and Morris County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crimes Unit, with support from the Morris County Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene Investigations Unit and Morris County Prosecutor’s Office Sex Crimes Child Endangerment Unit.
This investigation remains active and ongoing. Anyone with information about this incident is encouraged to call the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office at (973) 285-6200 or the East Hanover Police Department at (973) 887-0432.
Editors Note: A criminal complaint is merely an accusation. Despite these accusations, the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
