5 day forecast
Vandergrift man held for court in death of 2-month-old girl
Share with others:
A Vandergrift man was ordered to stand trial today on charges that he shook a 2-month-old girl to death.
But the attorney representing Matthew Milisits, 30, said he thought prosecutors presented a weak case and he hopes to have his client's bond reduced.
Mr. Milisits faces charges of homicide, assault and other crimes in connection with the death of Sophie Ludwiczak, whom police initially described as his daughter but whom Mr. Milisits later said he was not sure was his biological child.
State police from Kittanning wrote in a news release that Sophie was unresponsive when Mr. Milisits took the girl to her mother's home in North Apollo on Nov. 15. Medics took the girl to Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC, where she was in critical condition until she was taken off of life a few days later.
Troopers said that Mr. Milisits confessed to shaking the girl after he became angry with her.
Mr. Milisits' attorney, Duke George, said this afternoon that prosecutors presented testimony from a doctor who examined Sophie and from a trooper, who read the autopsy report into the record.
He said he did not believe that they had proven that Mr. Milisits shook the child and, "There was not intent to cause seriously bodily injury or death."
He said Mr. Milisits plans to plead not guilty and that he expects to have more information after his Jan. 23 formal arraignment.
First Published December 4, 2012 5:24 pm
