Racine woman accused of child’s death pleads not guilty

Praeger faces one count of first-degree reckless homicide. If convicted, she faces up to 60 years in prison.

According to a previous Journal Times article, on July 11, Racine police responded to a residence in the 600 block of Ninth Street for a report of child abuse. The boy was taken to hospital and died on July 17.

He reportedly suffered a spinal contusion, blood down his spine, bleeding on both sides of his brain, bleeding behind his eye and a bruise on his eyelid.

Praeger lived at the residence with the father of her children, as well as the mother of the deceased boy. It would have been Praeger’s responsibility to care for the babies in the house.

Praeger denied shaking the baby, but reportedly told investigators she might have put the boy down too hard, causing him to hit his head on the ground.

Praeger’s cash bail was initially set at $500,000, but was reduced to $50,000 on October 16. She is scheduled to appear for a status conference at the Racine County Courthouse on Dec. 13.