Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office

25 Kirkpatrick Street, 3^rd Floor, New Brunswick, New Jersey, 08901 (732) 745-3300

*Press Release* Date: February 6, 2009

Piscataway woman pleads guilty

Middlesex County Prosecutor Bruce J. Kaplan announced that a Piscataway woman pleaded guilty today to a charge of drowning her 9-month-old daughter in their home last year.

Wella Eng, (DOB 11/23/73) pleaded guilty to a count of aggravated manslaughter, admitting she placed Lauren Eng face down in a bathtub at the home at 2 Camelot Court on January 10, 2008, knowingly ignoring the risk that it could lead to her death.

When police arrived in response to a 911 call at 4:44p.m., the infant was unresponsive and was taken to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick, where she died on January 11, 2008, at 3:39 p.m.

Eng was charged with the homicide following an investigation by Sgt. Dave Powell of the Piscataway Police Department and Sgt. George Trillhaase of the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office.

Eng also pleaded guilty today to a charge of endangering the welfare of the child, admitting that on Nov. 28, 2007, she parked her vehicle in a shopping center parking lot in Piscataway and left the infant alone in the vehicle.

Eng was charged originally with murder and two counts of endangering the welfare of the child, but under negotiations with Middlesex County Assistant Prosecutor Christie Bevacqua, the defendant waived trial and pleaded guilty to aggravated manslaughter and one child endangerment count.

As part of the plea agreement, Eng faces up to 20 years in a New Jersey state prison and must serve at least 85 percent of the term before she can become eligible for parole.

Superior Court Judge Frederick DeVesa will sentence Eng on May 1 at 1:30 p.m. in the Middlesex County Courthouse, New Brunswick.