Tampabay: Nanny accused of shaking baby girl

The baby was hospitalized last week but was at home Sunday, sheriff's officials said. It was unknown just how serious or permanent the child's injuries might be. She suffered internal bleeding behind her eyes and a subdural hematoma, or blood clot on the brain.

Csira was referred to the Palm Harbor family by A Choice Nanny, a nanny referral service in Tampa. The owners of the business, Val and Eleanor Nesbit, didn't know of the arrest until contacted by a St. Petersburg Times reporter Sunday afternoon.

"This kind of thing is a nanny agency's worst nightmare," Eleanor Nesbit said. "We're really extremely sorry that it happened."

Csira has worked for the Palm Harbor family since July 2, said sheriff's spokeswoman Marianne Pasha. Csira's routine was to watch the girl, the couple's only child, from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays.

On Aug. 20, Csira called 911 after the girl started gasping for air, grew pale and had a fixed stare.

Paramedics took the child to Mease-Dunedin Hospital, then transferred her to All Children's Hospital. The medical staff realized the injuries were consistent with shaking. They called an abuse hotline and reported the incident.

Pasha said Csira told two different stories to investigators. In one, she said she dropped the child, possibly causing her to hit the floor, Pasha said. In another account, Csira said she tripped over the family dog and dropped the baby, Pasha said.

However, Pasha said, "the injuries suggested more than dropping."

Detectives arrested Csira on Friday. She posted $50,000 bail and was released that day.

Csira could not be reached for comment Sunday. A man who answered the door at her home said: "You'll have to talk to our lawyer," then shut the door before saying who is representing them.

Csira is a Hungarian citizen who moved to the United States when she was 18, Pasha said. She has a pre-law degree from a university in New York state, and has worked previously as a nanny.

Pasha said investigators plan to contact other families Csira has worked for to see whether there is evidence of abuse.

Pasha said the detective who investigated the case said the girl's parents would not want to speak with the Times. She did not identify the family or release any other information about them.

"They are in terrible shock," Pasha said.

Nesbit, the nanny service owner, said her company did a thorough background check on Csira. They searched back the past seven years, both in Florida and New York, but found no arrest history. Pasha confirmed Csira has never been arrested before.

Going back seven years is recommended by the International Nanny Association and the Alliance of Professional Nanny Associations, Nesbit said.

Nesbit said Csira, who has no children of her own, didn't even have a point on her driving record. She was referred to the company by another nanny.

The agency requires three references, and Csira provided four.

She worked for one family three years, another family two years and a third family for a year. The company asked all the families 30 questions about Csira and heard only good things.

Nesbit said her company has been doing business for 11 years and has referred more than 1,000 nannies, not one of whom has been charged with child abuse. The company turns down seven out of 10 applicants who walk through their door, Nesbit said.

"This is what makes us so nervous because it's what we hope we can tell parents, that you can come to us and that won't happen," Nesbit said. "Her file (Csira's) is absolutely perfect . . . and still there was something that happened."

- Staff writer Matthew Waite contributed to this report.

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