A baby sitter accused of fatally shaking a 14-month-old baby in her care has been convicted of aggravated manslaughter and child endangerment but acquitted of murder . Michelle Heale of Tom 's River , New Jersey claimed she was trying to burp Mason Hess when he began choking on his applesauce in August 2012 . But when she pulled him off her shoulder his neck snapped backwards , killing the boy . However she now faces 30 years in prison after a jury found her guilty of killing the youngster . When the verdict was read out , the 46-year-old sobbed uncontrollably and told her lawyer over-and-over again : ' I did n't do it . ' She then turned to her husband and , according to the Asbury Park Press , told him to make sure her five-year-old twins do not forget her . Scroll down for video . Michelle Heale ( pictured left in court on Friday ) of Tom 's River , New Jersey , has been found guilty of killing Mason Hess ( right ) by snapping his neck after shaking him . During her testimony , she broke down as she reenacted what happened in court using a doll . Heale was babysitting Mason as she was a friend of the family ( Mason 's mother Kellie above ) and her husband Michael and Mason 's father Adam worked together as detectives . She was then placed in handcuffs and taken into custody to await her sentence next month . Heale testified that the toddler went limp after she hit him between his shoulder blades to save him . The boy was flown to a hospital and died three days later . Doctors later determined the boy suffered severe brain , spine and retinal damage from a violent shaking . But jurors heard conflicting medical testimony . During ' I hit him hard on the back . I may have hit him harder than I should have , ' Heale said through tears after demonstrating on the doll . ' I hit him about four or five times , and then I felt the applesauce come out . I felt it on my shoulder and I felt it on my shirt . ' Thinking the crisis had been averted , she took Mason of her shoulder . 'As I brought him down , his head snapped back ... he was completely limp , ' she said . 'His eyes were open , but he was n't doing anything . ... Everything was flopping . ' Mason died on September 1 after being airlifted to Children 's Hospital of Philadelphia . Courtesy of Asbury Park Press/APP.com . Medical examiners determined that Mason ( above with his parents Kellie and Adam ) died as a result of homicide caused by blunt cerebral trauma . The Heale and Hess families , including Mason 's mother Kellie , had been friends for years . Heale spent most of her day expressing her disbelief over the situation , first being told she had to leave Mason at the hospital as she was suspected of hurting him and then being charged with murder . ' I thought they were going to take my kids from me because I was told that I had hurt Mason , ' Heale said . ' I thought that once they were made aware that I had my own kids that they were going to take them from me . ' Heale , was able to keep custody of her children . She told the jury at the end of her testimony : ' I would never hurt Mason or anybody . '
Mason Hess of New Jersey claimed she was trying to burp Michelle Heale . But jury said she killed him by snapping his neck as he was choking . Was charged with aggravated manslaughter and endangering a child . Sobbed uncontrollably as the verdict was read out and said : ' I did n't do it ' Turned to her husband and asked him to make sure her five-year-old twins do n't forget her . She faces up to 30 years in prison when she is sentenced next month .