Photo: Starkenya Sperm-Banks
A 20-year-old South Side woman was ordered held in lieu of $1 million bail this morning, accused in the shaking death of her 2-month-old daughter.
Starkenya Banks, of the 7100 block of South Yates Boulevard, faces first-degree murder charges. Her daughter Omaria Beckon was found unresponsive at her home Thursday night, according to Chicago police and the Cook County medical examiner's office.
Police have said Omaria suffered from shaken baby syndrome.
Assistant State’s Attorney William Hall said in court that Banks told police she shook the baby “two or three times” to stop her from crying and dropped the girl on a tile floor of the apartment. When the child did not wake up for a feeding four hours later, Banks called for an ambulance, Hall said.
