Courtney Bias, on the left, and Levi Anderson, on the right. (Kings County Sheriff’s Office; GoFundMe)
A California babysitter is back in jail after an alleged child abuse incident that left a toddler with a brain bleed earlier this year.
Courtney Nicole Bias, 29, stands accused of one count each of felony assault of a child resulting in great bodily injury and a permanent injury and felony child abuse with great bodily injury, according to Kings County Jail records reviewed by Law&Crime. The defendant is also facing an enhancement for great bodily injury to a child under 5 years old, Kings County Court records show.
She is currently being held on $1 million bond.
The charges stem from an incident in March that left then-13-month-old Levi Anderson hospitalized and severely injured with a host of serious ailments including blood in his spinal column, liver malfunction, and bleeding behind both eyes – as well as the previously mentioned brain bleed, according to Fresno-based ABC affiliate KFSN.
Christin Anderson had left her son with Bias at the defendant’s home-based daycare. She picked her boy up after Bias allegedly said the child was inconsolable, according to the TV station.
“She had him on the left side of her body, and he was completely unresponsive,” Christin Anderson said in an interview with KFSN in May. “I grab my son from her, and he just – he looks gone.”
The distraught mother then dialed 911; an ambulance officers with the Hanford Police Department arrived. An investigation went on for several weeks. Bias was initially arrested the last week of April on a lone count of felony child abuse resulting in great bodily injury.
“According to the doctors that we talked to, this only could’ve been a result of child abuse,” HPD Chief Parker Sever told the TV station. “There is no accident that could’ve caused this immediate type of damage. It was very consistent with what people call shaken baby syndrome.”
Bias quickly made bail on the initial charge; she was arrested again last Friday on the additional charge.
“It was a long waiting game and, you know, we were patient and we’re just thrilled that she’s right where she needs to be,” Anderson told KFSN this week. “Justice will be served and she’s not going to get away with almost murdering my son.”
After Bias’ first arrest, the Anderson family said they learned the babysitter did not have a state license.
“The person who recommended her to me, I wholeheartedly trust,” Christin Anderson told KFSN.
Levi Anderson was intermittently on a ventilator for weeks and even underwent a surgery to remove part of his skull. A later surgery replaced that removed portion. Levi Anderson’s father, a pilot for the U.S. Navy, returned home in the aftermath of the tragedy.
This video shows Levi at 12-months-old when we was walking and nearly running. The second part shows Levi today at 14-months-old… try to rebuild mobility in his left side. He’s in a helmet because a piece of his skull had to temporarily be removed. @ABC30 pic.twitter.com/h8HRiUACk3
— Jessica Harrington (@JessicaABC30) May 3, 2023
A GoFundMe for the family’s medical expenses was started by the victim’s aunt.
“Please consider giving towards Levi’s recovery,” the fundraiser reads. “Whether that helps feed the kids, pays for part of Levi’s necessary recovery tools, helps with travel to and from the hospital for his parents, pays for someone to care for the family dog, helps pay for bills, or helps with Levi’s home modifications to make life easier for him — A N Y T H I N G will help. No donation is too small. Your support is amazing and we thank you all for helping out.”
The boy, for his part, has reportedly retained his burgeoning personality, but lost mobility on his left side. He is currently undergoing a non-traditional outpatient therapy program aimed at recovery, KFSN reports.
The defendant has pleaded not guilty to all the charges, court records show. Law&Crime reached out to her attorney of record for comment on this story but no response was immediately forthcoming.
Bias is due back in court on June 29 for a preliminary and bail review hearing.
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