Charges Filed After Infant Dies in Hot Car

Mother Faces Charges After Infant Dies in Hot Car in East Hanover

EAST HANOVER, N.J. - Morris County Prosecutor Robert Carroll, Chief of Detectives Robert McNally, and East Hanover Police Chief Christopher Cannizzo have announced charges in connection with the tragic death of a six-month-old infant on July 17, 2024, in East Hanover.

On that day, at approximately 1:30 p.m., East Hanover Police officers responded to a 911 call reporting an infant in distress in a parked vehicle along South Ridgedale Avenue on Route 10. Paramedics arrived on the scene and attempted lifesaving measures, but the infant was pronounced dead at the hospital. The investigation determined that the child had been left unattended in the vehicle for about four and a half hours.

Livia Patelli, 33, of Roseland, the mother of the infant, has been charged with second-degree Endangering the Welfare of a Child under N.J.S.A. 2C:24-4a(2). Patelli was initially detained at the Morris County Correctional Facility following Criminal Justice Reform protocols but was released after her First Appearance Hearing on August 1, 2024.

The investigation, led by the East Hanover Police Department and the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crimes Unit, received additional support from the Morris County Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene Investigations Unit and the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office Sex Crimes Child Endangerment Unit.

Authorities continue to investigate the incident and urge anyone with information to contact the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office at 973-285-6200 or the East Hanover Police Department at 973-887-0432.

It is important to note that a criminal complaint is merely an accusation. The defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law beyond a reasonable doubt.