Quantcast

Mother from Flushing charged with abusing baby on subway

By Alexander Dworkowitz

A Flushing mother was arrested on charges of throwing her baby to the ground in a Manhattan subway car Sunday as passengers watched in horror, police said.

Jang Chang of Union Street was taken into custody on a southbound No. 2 train at 79th Street on the Upper West Side at about 3:10 p.m., police said.

Chang allegedly shook her 21-month-old daughter and threw her to the ground of the car, according to authorities.

She was held on charges of assault, reckless endangerment and endangering the welfare of the child, police said.

Chang was arraigned in front of State Supreme Court Judge William Harrington in Lower Manhattan Monday.

Harrington set Chang’s bail at $1,500 and ordered her to reappear in court on Sept. 13.

Her daughter was taken to the Roosevelt branch of St. Luke’s Roosevelt Hospital in Manhattan for evaluation. The hospital released the girl to the care of the city Administration for Children’s Services later in the day.

The following day, ACS turned over custody of the child to the girl’s father.

“After ACS workers assessed the father’s ability to take care of the child, she was released to her father’s care this morning,” MacLean Guthrie, a spokeswoman for ACS, said Monday.

Guthrie said the Chang family had no history with ACS.

ACS did not reveal whether or not the baby’s mother and father live together.

Reach reporter Alexander Dworkowitz by e-mail at Timesledger@aol.com or call 229-0300 Ext. 141.