Racine death of infant boy; 25-year-old woman accused
Andi Praeger
RACINE, Wis. - A 25-year-old Racine woman is charged with first-degree reckless homicide in the death of an 11-month-old boy. The accused is Andi Praeger.
According to the criminal complaint, Racine police responded to a residence near 9th and Villa on Thursday, July 11 for a report of child abuse. The infant was taken to Children's Hospital where it was determined the child "had multiple injuries including a spinal contusion and blood along his spine" as well as bleeding on both sides of his brain, the complaint says.
A detective spoke with a doctor who indicated the infant's injuries "could only be caused by some type of traumatic injury," the complaint says.
Investigators learned defendant Praeger lived at the Racine residence with her two children and the boy's parents. Praeger indicated "she was the main care taker of the youngest children" at the residence, including the 11-month-old boy.
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When questioned about the child's injuries, Praeger stated "she put him down to sleep and he just started making a weird noise," the complaint says. Praeger initially stated she did not do anything to the child. She later "stated multiple times 'I did not shake him,'" the complaint says.
As the interview continued, Praeger stated, "The only thing that I could think of is that he might [have] bonked his head when I put him down, but it wasn't intentional. Okay, but that's it, nothing else," the complaint says. When investigators asked Praeger what part of the child's head he hit, she stated it would have been the back of his head. The detective stated, "You put him down pretty hard" -- and Praeger stated, "Yeah," the complaint says. The detective provided Praeger with a doll to use to demonstrate how she put the child down. The complaint says she "knelt down on her knees and demonstrated by hitting the back of the doll's head on the floor of the interview room while still holding on to the torso of the doll."
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On Wednesday, July 17, the infant died from injuries suffered in this incident. He was pronounced deceased at Children's Wisconsin.
Praeger made her initial appearance in Racine County court on Thursday, July 18. Cash bond was set at $500,000.