Nicole Virzi is charged with manslaughter of baby Leon Katz
A Southern California woman has been accused of killing a newborn baby and abusing the child’s twin brother while visiting her children’s parents in Western Pennsylvania.
According to Allegheny County court records, 29-year-old Nicole Elizabeth Virzi is charged with one count of manslaughter, several counts of aggravated assault and additional counts of endangering the welfare of a child in connection with the alleged killing and abuse in an apartment in Shadyside, a suburb of Pittsburgh.
Pittsburgh Police Department officers arrested Virzi on June 16 after the reported crimes occurred at the home where police say the children’s parents, Savannah Roberts and Ethan Katz, live about 4.5 miles northeast of downtown.
According to her biography on the San Diego State University and UC San Diego websites, Virzi is currently pursuing her doctorate in clinical psychology at those schools.
Jail records show Virzi remained in custody without bail Tuesday and is scheduled to appear for a preliminary hearing in Pittsburgh Magistrate District Court on July 24.
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According to a criminal complaint obtained by USA TODAY, Virzi called 911 shortly after 11:15 p.m. on June 15 to report that a 6-1/2-week-old baby she was caring for had suffered a bump on the head after falling out of a crib and was “unresponsive.”
Arriving emergency responders took the baby, identified as Leon Katz, to Children’s Hospital at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, where a doctor pronounced the baby dead shortly before 5:50 a.m. the next day.
During the course of this investigation, investigators learned that Leon’s parents had taken his twin to the same hospital before he was injured. Virzi had told them that she had noticed that the baby had sustained injuries to his genitals.
While the parents were in the hospital, Leon remained in Virzi’s care, the report continues.
According to the criminal complaint, an investigator with the Allegheny County Office of the Medical Examiner learned that Leon suffered injuries when he fell from a bouncer. A scan also revealed that he had suffered “a severe skull fracture on the left side of his head as well as multiple brain hemorrhages.”
A doctor who examined the twins told police that the injuries they sustained were “the result of child abuse” and “not an accident.”
Allegheny County Coroner Dr. Arlel Goldschmidt later performed a preliminary autopsy and concluded that Leon’s cause of death was blunt force trauma to the head and classified his death as a homicide.
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“My client denies any intentional act”
Virzi’s attorney, David Schrager, told USA TODAY his client was friends with the twins’ parents and had traveled from California to visit them before their arrest. According to the police report, Virzi had been staying at a nearby short-term rental apartment at the time of the incident.
“There are allegations that my client was involved in some way in the child’s injury. My client denies any intentional act,” Schrager said Tuesday. “These are, of course, very shocking and disturbing allegations. My client has no criminal past. She is a doctoral student and has been a long-time family friend. They have known each other for at least five years.”
Fundraiser to support twin family raises over $66,000
In an online fundraiser launched five days ago by Isabella Kahhalé and Sam Plateto to support the family, Virzi was described as a “trusted friend of the family.”
As of Tuesday, more than $66,000 in donations had been raised.
“Not only are Savannah and Ethan coping with the unbearable loss of their beloved son Leon, but they are also facing significant financial burdens,” the creators wrote on the site. “The funds raised will cover funeral expenses, medical bills for Leon and Ari’s injuries, essential baby items and moving costs as they get through this difficult time.”
USA TODAY reached out to Kahhalé.
Do you suspect a child is being abused? Call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child or 1-800-422-4453 or visit www.childhelp.org.
Natalie Neysa Alund is a senior reporter at USA TODAY. Reach her at [email protected] and follow her on X at @nataliealund.
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