Skip to content
News
Link copied to clipboard

Burlington County man indicted in tot's death

A Burlington County grand jury on Tuesday indicted Steven Donaldson, 29, of Shamong, on a charge of murder in connection with the death of a one-year-old on Feb. 12. The child, Claudia Nunes, had turned a year old the day before she was killed. She had been in foster care with Donaldson's girlfriend in Cinnaminson.

A Burlington County grand jury on Tuesday indicted Steven Donaldson, 29, of Shamong, on a charge of murder in connection with the death of a one-year-old on Feb. 12. The child, Claudia Nunes, had turned a year old the day before she was killed. She had been in foster care with Donaldson's girlfriend in Cinnaminson.

The Burlington County Prosecutor's office laid out this account of the night's events: Donaldson was caring for the child while his girlfriend was at work, when, about 8 p.m., Donaldson contacted 9-1-1 and said the child wasn't breathing. Emergency personnel were unable to revive her and she was pronounced dead at Kennedy University Hospital in Cherry Hill.

Burlington County Medical Examiner Dr. Ian Hood concluded that her death was caused by blunt force trauma to the head, Prosecutor Robert Bernardi's office said. Donaldson, arrested March 26, was released on $250,000 bail. - Jane M. Von Bergen