Abuse Angels
Commited to the end of child abuse. . .
Angela Lynn Biotti
Chest X-rays that could have saved two month old abused baby Angela Biotti's life weren't looked at until three weeks after she died. A physician took X-rays of Angela Biotti on November 22, 2002. But the X-rays weren't read until late December, three weeks after the she died of a fractured skull. Those X-rays would have revealed previous rib fractures from abuse prior to her death.
Angela's father Casey Biotti, faces a charge of homicide by abuse, as well as rape for impregnating Angela's then 14 year-old mother. Police said Biotti told them he hit Angela’s head on a window ledge so hard it made a popping sound. A state official said that if social workers had known about the infant's broken ribs, Angela might have been removed from the home before her death. "That would have made all the difference in the world," acknowledged Pat Miller, area administrator for the Division of Children and Family Services, which oversaw Angela's Child Fatality Review. "An infant who can't protect (herself) with broken bones would be taken very seriously." Instead, the state gave the case a low risk rating, meaning it was not investigated but simply filed for future reference.
Angela's mother, Tasha Jones, believes the rib injuries were caused by chest compressions given by medical personnel immediately after the infant's birth. Jones, who started dating Biotti when she was 12, said she still wants to eventually marry the man who's charged with raping her and killing her baby. "I believe if the hospital did their job, Casey wouldn't be sitting where he is," Jones said. "I know he didn't do it." Biotti has admitted to bear-hugging Angela to make her stop crying and bouncing her on his knees until her eyes crossed. Angela's short, violent life stretched from a complicated birth Nov. 4 to her death Dec. 8. Her grandmother provided records showing that a physician had to perform CPR on Angela just after her birth. Family members believe those chest compressions broke her ribs.
Family members said they can document a total of 14 hospital and in home nurse visits during Angela's five weeks of life.They repeatedly expressed concern after they noticed a popping noise in Angela's chest any time she coughed, said Jeff Richards, Casey Biotti's stepfather. He also believes his stepson is innocent. "We thought we were red flagging it ourselves," Richards said. "We try to do what's right." Medical professionals filed an initial report with the state's Child Protective Services on December 3, after Jones told them Angela was not gaining weight and was acting "fussy." But the new state report found that its own worker underplayed the seriousness of the case by omitting "significant information and details" provided by the referring nurse. In addition to concerns about the age of the infant and its mother, the nurse reported that Jones wouldn't leave Angela alone with her father and that he "gets upset and punches or hits the wall."
Even with Tasha defending him, Casey would eventually admit that he had been abusing Angela and that abuse had eventually lead up to the skull fracture that killed her. Casey said he would kick and shake her bassinet and at times drop her into the bassinet from heights of about two feet, when he was frustrated.
Biotti plead guilty to second degree murder after agreeing to a plea deal where the rape charge was dismissed and a charge of homicide was reduced. Casey was scheduled to be sentenced in December of 2004 and was facing a term of ten to 28 years.
Nov. 4, 2002 - Dec. 8, 2002