Shonta Maria Gore-Bellamy left the J. Reuben Long Detention Center on October 3 after paying a $10,000 bond, as stated in the facility’s records.
Shonta Maria Gore-Bellamy is a Little River woman is facing a felony child abuse charge after state investigators say she nearly shook a 4-month-old to death.
Shonta Maria Gore-Bellamy
According to a sworn statement by South Carolina Law Enforcement, Bellamy was responsible for taking care of the baby from February 5th to April 10th, the purportedly time when the incident took place.
On Thursday, the 45-year-old woman was taken into custody and placed in the J. Reuben Long Detention Center. She has been charged with one count of causing severe harm to a child, which is a Class C felony carrying a maximum penalty of 20 years of imprisonment.
An unidentified person picked up the child and noticed visible injuries to his face that weren’t there when he was dropped off.
The child was picked up by an unknown individual who observed apparent facial injuries that were not present when the child was initially left with Shonta Maria Gore-Bellamy.
The baby underwent assessment at several hospitals and experienced injuries such as bruising surrounding his eyes and lips, brain hemorrhages of different magnitudes, a fractured leg, and four fractured ribs.
State authorities reported that the injuries were consistent with physical abuse, particularly abusive head trauma resulting from repeated episodes of shaking. Medical experts reported that these injuries posed a significant risk of death, necessitated extended treatment, and transpired during the timeframe when Gore-Bellamy was babysitting.