PHOENIX -- A Phoenix mother is facing charges of child abuse for allegedly shaking her 11-month-old daughter so severely she might die.
Maria Rivera made her initial court appearance Wednesday.
"It wasn't child abuse. My daughter had a seizure and then fell down the stairs," Rivera said.
Hospital personnel told police the baby's injuries were not consistent with a fall, but rather with shaken baby syndrome.
Rivera was booked into Maricopa County Jail on two counts of child abuse, a class 2 felony. A judge set her bond at $200,000 and appointed a public defender.
A status conference has been scheduled for June 27, followed by a preliminary hearing on June 29.
