Bergen County Mom Admits To Fatally Striking Infant Son: Reports

BERGEN COUNTY, NJ — A Bergen County mom has admitted to striking her 3-month-old son, killing him, reports said Thursday.

Sun Min "Grace" Yoo Chan of River Edge initially said in 2022 that she was in the "wrong place at the wrong time" after an ambulance rushed her son Elliot, 3 months old, to the hospital with traumatic injuries, Patch reported at the time.

The child also had a twin brother and older sister who were unharmed, said reports.

River Edge Police had received a call on the morning of March 29 that the infant was not breathing. Prosecutors said the boy was found unresponsive in the family's home and was pronounced dead at Hackensack University Medical Center on April 1. READ MORE: Baby's Death Leads To Murder Charges Against Bergen Woman: Prosecutor

At the time, Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella told the media that Chan had "assaulted the infant on multiple occasions in the past and, on March 29, 2022, ultimately caused his death."

Chan was charged with of first-degree murder, second-degree aggravated assault, and second-degree endangering the welfare of a child in connection with his death. She has remained in prison since then.

Was Subject Of Protest

About 100 supporters of Chan appeared outside a courtroom at a February 2024 hearing to say she should be set free and wasn't responsible for her son's death, according to a report on CBS. The report said that the family argued that Elliot was born frail, and that his twin brother and 5-year-old child had no signs of abuse.

A petition called "Justice For Wrongly Incarcerated New Jersey Mother," which has 10,000 signatures as of this week, states, "The prosecution's case against Grace Chan is built on circumstantial evidence, lacking substantial proof of her involvement in the tragic demise of our son, Elliot. We have had medical professionals thoroughly examine Elliot's medical file."

It notes, "Grace Chan's extended absence from our family has inflicted severe emotional distress upon our surviving children. Our 5-year-old daughter desperately yearns for her mother's presence, while our surviving son has been deprived of his mother's love and care."

But to avoid a trial, Chan pleaded guilty late last year to second-degree manslaughter, NJ.com and the Record of Hackensack reported Thursday, citing court records.

The Record said Thursday that Chan admitted to striking Elliot's head against a hard surface before his death, and admitted to other injuries before that.

The prosecutors will seek a five-year prison term and three years of parole, the Record reports.

READ MORE: Baby's Death Leads To Murder Charges Against Bergen Woman: Prosecutor