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Mother convicted of swinging infant like a club

ERIE - An Erie woman charged with swinging her 4-week-old son at her boyfriend and striking him with the boy during a fight has been convicted of aggravated assault, reckless endangerment, simple assault and child endangerment.

ERIE - An Erie woman charged with swinging her 4-week-old son at her boyfriend and striking him with the boy during a fight has been convicted of aggravated assault, reckless endangerment, simple assault and child endangerment.

Chytoria Graham, 28, fell into a fetal position when Judge William R. Cunningham told her that she faced a five-year mandatory minimum prison sentence after a jury convicted her Wednesday. "Oh, my God," she cried. "Oh, my God. Oh, my God. No, no, no."

Graham and DeAngelo Troop fought on Oct. 8, 2006, after Graham came home from a night of drinking, according to prosecutors. They said Graham had grabbed her son, Jarron, by his feet and swung him, hitting Troop and fracturing the infant's skull. Graham allegedly told emergency workers that she had swung Jarron like a bat, but she testified this week that she remembered little of what had happened.

She had pleaded guilty in March to aggravated assault and endangering the welfare of a child, but withdrew her plea in June. Jarron recovered and is living with Graham's family. Graham will be sentenced Dec. 12. - AP