Warning: This post contains sensitive details
On July 9, 2025, emergency responders rushed to the Oaks Learning Center in Oaks, Pennsylvania, after a 7-month-old baby girl was found unresponsive in the infant room.
According to police reports, what authorities discovered that day has left parents and the community deeply shaken.
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| Catalina Baldwin |
That morning, which was the victim's third day in school, the baby was dropped off by her parents at 7:30 a.m..
They told investigators that she was alert, healthy, and playful. But just a few hours later, her condition seemed to changed drastically.
At 10:12 a.m., a day care worker Catalina Baldwin, 37, texted the center’s director asking her to come to the infant room.
When the director arrived, she saw the baby was limp and unable to hold her head up, as reported by NBCPhiladelphia
Luckily, two firefighters were already at the center for an event, so they rushed in to help while 911 was called.
Paramedics took the baby to the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia’s King of Prussia location, where doctors found severe injuries.
She was suffering from a subdural hematoma, bleeding in her eyes, and damage to her cervical spine.
According to police reports, hospital officials said these injuries were “consistent with non-accidental trauma.”
The little girl was flown by helicopter to the main hospital in Philadelphia, where surgeons had to remove part of her skull to relieve pressure on her brain.
As of September 2025, two months after the victim was found unresponsive, she remains hospitalized.
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| Catalina Baldwin |
During the criminal investigation into this case, police uncovered another troubling incident.
On May 29, 2025, Baldwin sent a message to the mother of a 5-month-old girl, saying the child’s mouth was bleeding because she had chewed on a broken wicker basket.
Doctors, however, disagreed after extensive medical examinations.
A specialized team at CHOP determined the injury was “highly concerning for non-accident trauma/child physical abuse.”
After this discovery, investigators concluded that Baldwin had also assaulted this second infant.
Detectives brought in Baldwin for questioning and during this time, the searched her phone.
They discovered Baldwin had texted another teacher at 10:04 a.m. on July 9, complaining that the 7-month-old baby was “a nightmare.”
Also, phone records showed that Just two days later, on July 11, Baldwin searched online for “Shaken Syndrome.”
On July 31, 2025, Baldwin was arrested and charged with:
- Two counts of aggravated assault
- Simple assault
- Endangering the welfare of a child
- Recklessly endangering another person
She was first held at the Montgomery County Correctional Facility before posting bond of $99,000, as per NBC Philadelphia.
On Sept. 10, 2025, Baldwin appeared in court, where all charges were upheld. Her next court date is set for Oct. 22, 2025.
After Baldwin’s arrest, the day care center released a statement to families:
“The employee in question has worked in the childcare industry for 12 years and had a spotless record for 11 of those years, prior to these allegations. The employee will not be working while these charges are pending.”
The center also said it was installing cameras in every classroom to ensure safety, adding:
“The love and care of the children and staff that work at Oaks Early Learning Center is of the utmost importance to us.”
Montgomery County prosecutors have made it clear that their investigation is ongoing.
“We are always continuing to investigate on every case,” prosecutor Lauren Marvel said.
“If there are individuals who have information about this case, we always welcome that because we will never stop investigating,” she added.
Meanwhile, parents have also filed a civil lawsuit against the center, raising concerns about other possible cases of abuse.
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