Grandmother Accused of Killing Infant Pleads Not Guilty

Alfreda Giedrojc was charged in October with killing the 6-month-old girl

An Oak Lawn woman accused of killing her granddaughter by hitting her with a sledgehammer and slitting her throat pleaded not guilty Thursday to four counts of first-degree murder.

Alfreda Giedrojc, 61, was charged in October with killing the 6-month-old girl and is being held at Cook County Jail without bond.

Prosecutors said the victim's father dropped her off at her grandparents' home to work on a rehab project across the street. After the child's grandfather left the house to check on his son-in-law, prosecutors said Giedrojc put the sleeping baby on the floor and struck her with the sledgehammer.

"The defendant placed the baby on the floor and retrieved a sledgehammer from her closet which she had placed there the night before," Assistant Cook County State's Attorney Michael Deno said in court in October. "The defendant then hit the victim repeatedly in the head and body with the sledgehammer."

After the vicious attack, prosecutors said, the baby was still crying and moving. Prosecutors said Giedrojc retrieved a knife from the kitchen.

"The defendant then picked the victim up, held her and then slit her throat with the knife," Deno said.

"It's a tragedy," Oak Lawn Police Chief Michael Murray said. "Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family."

Giedrojc's next court appearance was scheduled for Dec. 18.

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