Shawn Custis pleaded not guilty to charges of attempted murder, burglary, robbery, and child endangerment in Essex County court this morning.
"This whole block, you could just hear a collective sigh of relief when the news started breaking that they got this guy," neighbor Nick Romano told NBC New York .
Prosecutors accuse Custis of a home invasion robbery that was recorded by a nanny cam.
In the video, the woman goes into another room to investigate a suspicious noise. A few moments later, a man can be seen hitting the woman, kicking her, and throwing her down a flight of stairs.
A small child witnesses the terrifying event while she hides under pillows on the sofa. The woman’s one-year-old was in a bedroom upstairs at the time of the attack.
The mother went to the hospital to receive treatment for a concussion, bruises, and a chipped tooth. She also had several stitches near her mouth.
Her husband was working in New York City at the time of the attack.
Custis is also accused of taking the woman’s wedding rings and purse.
Both children were unharmed.
"We believe it was his intent to kill the mother," Essex County Chief Assistant Prosecutor Thomas Fennelly told the Associated Press .