(CENTREVILLE) – A Constantine woman has been sentenced to 8 to 40 years on a charge of first degree child abuse.

St. Joseph County Circuit Court officials say 20 year old Angel Rickett received the sentence on Friday. She plead guilty to the charge in October.

On March 19, 2019 the Constantine Police were contacted by the Three Rivers Police about a seven month old girl in the emergency room of Three Rivers Health that was believed to have been abused by her parents.

Constantine Police spoke with the medical staff, who said the child had multiple skull fractures and bruising. Medical personnel said Rickett told them the child fell off of a couch and onto the floor of their home at the Elm Tree Apartments. However, medical staff said the child's injuries were not consistent with Rickett's story.

Constantine officers interviewed Rickett and discovered she became upset with her daughter and shook her hard enough that the back of the child's head banged into a wall. It was also discovered that Rickett slapped the child in the face.