The man charged with attacking a suburban New Jersey woman pleaded not guilty to multiple charges Tuesday, despite being captured on the family's nanny cam.
The woman was watching cartoons with her 3-year-old when a man entered the house and began to brutally beat her while her child watched on the sofa. The hidden nanny cam in their living room caught the beating on tape.
Shawn Custis, 42, entered his not guilty plea for charges of attempted murder, robbery, burglary and child endangerment. He was arrested shortly after being named a suspect. Custis has a long criminal history of burglaries and was convicted in a similar case 22 years ago. He was held on $750,000 bail following his Friday arrest in Manhattan.
The recording shows the woman sitting on a sofa with her child before getting up to investigate a noise. She backed back into the living room as a man -- presumably Custis -- entered the frame and began to beat her. It then shows the man going upstairs, where the police say he dug through the family's belongings, making off with her wedding rings and purse.
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From there, the man came back downstairs, beat the woman again and threw her down a flight of stairs. The 3-year-old was sitting on the sofa through the entire beating. A 1-year-old was sleeping upstairs.
The mother was punched more than 16 times and suffered a chipped tooth, bruises, a leg injury and a concussion. She also got stitches near her mouth. But all the while, she did not scream as she did not want to worry her child.
"We believe it was his intent to kill the mother," said Essex County Chief Assistant Prosecutor Thomas Fennelly.
The woman has since been released from the hospital.
