A 31-year-old Cheyenne mom could face up to 25 years in prison after allegedly throwing her 2-month-old daughter into a ditch, causing the baby severe injuries.

Lillian Jeffrey, who made her initial appearance in Laramie County Circuit Court yesterday (Tuesday), is charged with aggravated child abuse.

Jeffrey was arrested early Saturday morning after Cheyenne police responding to a "suspicious circumstance" at Love's Travel Stop discovered her baby lying in a pile of rocks approximately 20 feet from her car.

Police say Jeffrey was sitting in her car with her pants off saying "my baby was manifested and hanging on the Love's sign."

Staff at Cheyenne Regional Medical Center say the baby had multiple skull fractures and a collapsed lung. She was life-flighted to Children's Hospital Colorado where she remains hospitalized.

"The baby is still recovering," said Officer Kevin Malatesta, adding that "she's expected to live."

Police say a four-year-old boy who was sleeping on the front passenger's seat at the time of Jeffrey's arrest was taken into protective custody.

Jeffrey is currently being held in the Laramie County Jail on a $10,000 cash bond. Her preliminary hearing is scheduled for Dec. 20 at 1:30 p.m.

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