Abby Elizabeth Chosewood is accused of assaulting a 1-year-old child she was babysitting, police say. (YouTube / Gainesville PD)
Police are revealing new details after a 1-year-old nearly died from injuries allegedly suffered at the hands of a babysitter who was trusted to care for the child.
Abby Chosewood, 23, is accused of felony cruelty to children and felony aggravated assault for the incident that occurred last February. Gainesville Police Lt. Kevin Holbrook told Law&Crime’s Sidebar podcast that detectives became involved after receiving a call from the Department of Family and Children’s Services.
“This is a case in which the child was probably as close to death as you can get,” Lt. Kevin Holbrook said. “The child received numerous injuries, numerous broken bones to include a femur. A femur is one of the strongest bones we have in our bodies.”
Holbrook said the child had petechiae and bruising on her body from a “strangulation-type” injury. However, he said they don’t know whether the child was choked or smothered – only that the child was deprived of oxygen.
The parents did not have nanny cams in the home.
Through the monthslong investigation, detectives determined the time frame in which the child suffered the injuries and determined Chosewood was responsible, police said.
“We don’t know exactly what happened in that house, and we’ll probably never know. And we’re just hoping that it didn’t occur to any other children,” Holbrook said.
Holbrook said Chosewood was a family friend of the injured child’s parents. He added that she was brought in for questioning but said he cannot elaborate on any information that came from that interview.
“That will come out in court,” Holbrook said.
Chosewood said on her website that she wanted to work as a sideline reporter at ESPN after college. Her YouTube page features news stories that she produced while in college.
The charges involving the child are not Chosewood’s first encounter with law enforcement. Last September, court records show she pleaded guilty to one count of financial transaction card theft and two counts of financial transaction card fraud in connection with that case.
In that case, Chosewood admitted to stealing another woman’s debit card and using it to make multiple online purchases for herself in April 2021.
She is on probation for that case.
Meanwhile, Lt. Holbrook said Chosewood did not appear surprised when she found out she was being charged with the assault.
“Many times in interviews you can talk to someone and you can somewhat feel the sympathy… this is one of those cases where I wouldn’t use that word,” Lt. Holbrook said. “That’s something that she’ll have to answer for in court and she’ll have her day in court.”
A future court date has not yet been set for Chosewood.
WSB-TV in Atlanta reported that Chosewood’s attorney has declined to comment on the charges.
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