Nanny Cam Beating Suspect Shawn Curtis Pleads Not Guilty To New Jersey Home Invasion [VIDEO]
Shawn Curtis, the man suspected of beating a New Jersey mother in an attack caught on a nanny cam, pleaded not guilty to the charges Tuesday morning in an Essex County courtroom.
Curtis, 42, pleaded not guilty to robbing the woman’s purse and wedding rings and beating her, but the crime was recorded on the Millburn, N.J., mother’s nanny cam. Footage, which can be viewed above, shows the mother and her young daughter watching cartoons when a man comes into the frame. He is seen dragging the woman around the house, punching her in the face and choking her as the frightened 1-year-old watches from the couch.
Curtis was arrested Friday and charged with attempted murder, burglary and endangering the welfare of a child. The 42-year-old nanny cam beating suspect “has a criminal record dating back to the 1990s for burglaries,” according to NBC News.
Essex County prosecutors said they have reason to believe that Curtis meant to kill the victim.
"We believe it was his intent to kill the mother," Essex County Chief Assistant Prosecutor Thomas Fennelly told the Associated Press.
The nanny cam footage helped police arrest Curtis. The mother consented to release of the video, hoping that it would aid police in their investigation into the June 21 home invasion.
"That’s the kind of person she is – she doesn’t want it to happen to anybody else," neighbor John Bushman told NJ.com about the victim’s decision to release the video.
Essex County Prosecutor Carolyn Murray said the nanny cam footage was key to catching Curtis.
"The video is very helpful, and increasingly there is video evidence. People in the community who are inclined to do criminal acts should probably be aware that it's often a help for us," Murray told the AP. "The video shows what violent crime looks like."
Curtis is being held on $75,000 bail.
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