PhD student accused of violent assault on friends’ twin babies, leaving one dead

A California college student killed her friend’s’ 6-week-old baby and assaulted his twin brother at their parents’ home in Pittsburgh, police said.

Nicole Virzi, 29, was babysitting the infant twins Saturday. The University of California-San Diego psychology PhD student, a longtime friend of the family, told the parents she noticed scratches on one twin’s face, belly and genitals, The San Diego Union-Tribune reports.

The parents rushed the newborn to the hospital and left the student alone to watch his brother, Leon Katz. That evening, the baby suffered multiple skull fractures that led to his death, authorities say.

Virzi has been charged with homicide, aggravated assault and endangering the welfare of children. The parents said they did nothing wrong and did not see how either newborn was injured other than by the babysitter, the Union-Tribune reports.

Virzi told police she placed Katz in a highchair that night but forgot to strap him in before leaving the room to get a bottle, according to the Union-Tribune. When she came back, the six-week-old was on the floor and had a large bump on his head, Virzi said. She then called 911.

Emergency crews rushed Katz to a local hospital, where he died on Sunday from blunt-force trauma to the head. Doctors said the injuries resulted “from child abuse,” according to CBS Pittsburgh.

Katz did not give a “plausible explanation” for the infant’s extensive injuries, police say.

Defense attorney David Shrager told CBS Pittsburgh Katz’s death was “an awful thing” but it does not mean “someone is culpable.”

“Our client denies these allegations,” Shrager said, according to local outlet WTAE. “She is a loving person and a friend to these people and would never harm anyone’s child, let alone theirs.”

Virzi pleaded not guilty to all charges, according to the Union-Tribune. She is being held in the Allegheny County Jail after her bond was denied.

Virzi is a PhD student in a clinical psychology program jointly run by San Diego State University and the University of California-San Diego. Her research areas include behavioral medicine, women’s health and eating disorders, according to the San Diego State University website.