PITTSBURGH, PA – A woman engaged in doctoral studies faces a grave accusation of fatally injuring an infant boy and harming his twin brother while performing babysitting duties for a family friend in Pittsburgh.

Nicole Virzi, a 29-year-old Ph.D. candidate from San Diego, was residing in Pittsburgh when the tragic incident occurred. She has been arrested and faces multiple serious charges, including criminal homicide, three counts of aggravated assault, and one count pertaining to the endangerment of a child’s welfare. Court records reveal that Virzi was apprehended on June 16, and she is currently being held without the option of posting bail. Her preliminary hearing is scheduled for June 28.

The delicate charge revolves around the untimely death of newborn Leon Katz. Reports indicate that while his parents were tending to his twin brother’s hospital visitation for reported injuries to his genitalia, Leon sustained a critical skull fracture while in Virzi’s care, which led to his death.

A physician who assessed both infants conveyed to police that their afflictions were indicative of abuse and were non-accidental in nature.

In her defense, attorney David Schrager contends that his client is innocent, arguing that the infant’s injury occurred following an accidental fall from a bouncy chair while Virzi was temporarily absent from the room. Schrager emphasizes that Virzi lacks any prior criminal record, pointing out her position as a Ph.D. scholarship recipient and emphasizing her enduring friendship with the affected family.

Virzi’s academic pursuits, as detailed on her university’s webpage, are centered on clinical psychology, a joint program conducted by San Diego State University and UC San Diego.

In response to this tragic turn of events, the community has rallied in support of Leon’s family through a GoFundMe campaign, raising over $60,000. Described on the fundraising page as a “trusted family friend,” Virzi’s relationship with the family adds a layer of complexity to this deeply distressing case.