Trial begins for Lynn couple charged with shaking their then-2 month old baby girl

SALEM – The trial for a Lynn couple charged with recklessly injuring their 2-month-old daughter in 2009 began in Salem Superior Court Monday with jury selection. The opening statements are slated to begin today at 9 a.m., according to Judge Howard Whitehead.Assistant District Attorney Kate B. MacDougall and Salem defense attorneys John Haggerty and John Morris spent about five hours selecting nine men and five women to be jurors in the trial of Jose Angel Aquino Ampara, 29, and Maely Quinones, formerly of 501 Washington St.According to police reports, Quinones? mother told authorities she had witnessed incidents in which she observed Ampara shake the infant “like a rag” in an effort to keep her awake so she would sleep through the night. She also said she saw him on another occasion – in her daughter?s presence – shake the child, who never seemed right after that incident.Ampara is charged with two counts of assault and battery on a child causing serious bodily injury, while Quinones is charged with child endangerment and recklessly permitting an assault and battery on a child causing serious bodily injury.At a September 2009 Superior Court arraignment, MacDougall said the infant underwent surgery in July of that year to remove half of her skull in order to relieve brain swelling after being brought to the hospital by her parents, who told doctors she was fussy and they did not know why.Hospital officials noticed bruises on the child?s face, and a further examination revealed her thigh and pinky finger were also bruised, MacDougall said at the hearing. The infant had hemorrhaging to the retinas of her eyes and would likely be blind for the rest of her life, she said.Ampara, who has been in custody since September 2009, did not speak to or make eye contact with Quinones while in court Monday.Morris said the trial is expected to last through April 30, when he plans to call a neurosurgeon to the stand. He said he plans to have at most three witnesses, and anticipated the prosecution would call between six and 12 witnesses.Taylor Provost can be reached at [email protected].