Spectrum pays the price Woman charged for
State settlement gives $62.5M in customer credits preemie baby’s death
BY EMILY DAVENPORT
A Long Island woman
has been charged with
manslaughter after
her daughter was born
prematurely in a Long
Island City hotel room
last summer, prosecutors
announced on March 25.
Lauren Becker, 36,
was brought before the
Queens Criminal Court
on charges of seconddegree
manslaughter and
endangering the welfare
of a child. Becker, who is
currently hospitalized,
was arraigned via video
conference on March 22.
Becker, who is due to
return to court on April
5, faces up to 15 years in
prison if convicted.
“The victim in this case
was a defenseless baby,
just hours old. Her young
life was cut short because
the newborn’s mother
allegedly refused to seek
the medical care the baby
needed after being born six
to eight weeks early with
drugs in her blood.” said
Chief Assistant District
Attorney John Ryan.
According to the
charges, at 7:30 p.m. on July
18, 2018, police responded
to a 911 call at the Days
Inn Hotel, located at 31-
32 Queens Blvd., shortly
after being contacted by
of Becker’s relatives. The
relative told police that
Becker had texted that
she had delivered her
baby in the toilet of the
hotel room.
Despite the relative’s
directions to bring the
baby to the hospital, law
enforcement sources said,
Becker allegedly refused
to do so.
A brief search led
108th Precinct officers to
Becker’s room on the sixth
f loor, where they allegedly
found Becker holding her
infant daughter — whose
body was lifeless, blue and
wrapped in a towel on top
of a bed.
EMS responded to the
scene and transported both
the baby and Becker to
Elmhurst Hospital, where
the baby was pronounced
dead. An autopsy found
that the infant had been
born six to eight weeks
early, and was alive at the
time of her birth.
The medical examiner
determined that the
cause of the baby’s death
was complications of
prematurity due to failure
to seek medical evaluation
and treatment.
Prosecutors said the
autopsy also found that
the baby had liquid in her
stomach — consistent with
Becker’s claims that she
tried to breast feed the baby
— and a toxicology report
showed that the infant had
both cocaine and Xanax
in her system. The drugs,
however, were not lethal
levels that would have
killed the baby, according
to charges.
Becker was arrested
on March 20 and is
currently hospitalized.
Reach reporter Emily
Davenport by e-mail at
edavenport@qns.com or by
phone at (718) 224-5863 ext.
236.
We've Got the Power!
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Photo via Google Maps
BY BILL PARRY
Spectrum has begun
issuing credits to New York
customers as required in
a $62.5 million settlement
announced by New York State
Attorney General Letitia
James last week.
The settlement agreement
resulted from action brought
by the AG’s office alleging that
the company failed to deliver
to consumers the reliable and
fast internet service it had
promised. Under the terms
of the settlement, Charter
Communications, Inc.,
Spectrum’s parent company,
is required to issue monetary
relief to qualified subscribers
and offer video streaming
services at no charge. In
all, qualified subscribers
will receive $62.5 million in
bill credits.
Subscribers do not have
to fill out any paperwork to
obtain the credit, but must
contact Spectrum to receive
the streaming services.
“New Yorkers will start
to receive tens of millions
of dollars and additional
services owed to them due
to the company’s failure to
provide quality services to
its customers,” James said.
“In issuing the largestever
consumer payout by
an internet provider, my
office is proud to set a high
standard for the way the
internet providers accurately
market services.”
Spectrum will also offer
the following streaming
services to nearly 2.2 million
current internet subscribers
at no extra charge. Current
consumers who subscribe
to both internet and cable
State Attorney General Letitia James, shown at a 2018 Bay Terrace
Civic Association meeting, announced that Spectrum has agreed
to provide $62.5 million in customer credits as part of its legal
settlement with the state. File Photo
television from Spectrum,
will have a choice of either
three months of HBO or six
months of Showtime.
Internet only subscribers
will get one month of Spectrum
TV Choice streaming service,
in which subscribers can
access broadcast television
and a choice of ten pay TV
networks, as well as access to
Showtime for one month.
Consumers have until
May 30 to select the extra
charge premium services they
want. Customers should call
Spectrum at 1-833-422-8795
for further information. The
AG’s office is encouraging
subscribers to share their
experience redeeming the
offer by going to https://ag.ny.
gov/spectrumconsumerrelief
and complete a survey.
Reach reporter Bill
Parry by e-mail at bparry@
schnepsmedia.com or by phone
at (718) 260–4538.
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TIMESLEDGER,14 MARCH 29-APR. 4, 2019 QNS.COM
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