NEWARK -- A city man Wednesday was convicted of beating a woman in her Millburn home while her children were nearby, but he was acquitted of a more serious charge of attempted murder.

A jury found Shawn Custis, 45, guilty of second-degree aggravated assault for the June 21, 2013 attack that was recorded on a home security "nanny cam." The victim was punched and kicked and thrown down the basement stairs.

The victim sat in the courtroom weeping as she heard the jury foreman say that Custis was also guilty of endangering the welfare of a child, robbery, burglary, criminal restraint and theft. Her husband sat beside her.

Custis was not in the courtroom. His lawyer, John McMahon of the Public Defender's Office, said Custis waived his right to hear the verdict.

Moments later outside the courthouse, jury foreman Jerome Branham praised four women who identified Custis from the "nanny cam" video.

The case, Branham said, "was sealed for me when the four women testified."

"Thank God for the Nanny cam, because the Millburn police left some questions in my mind," Branham said. He said the police who testified were "very bias" against Custis.

During the trial, Custis' attorney, John McMahon of the Public Defender's Office argued Custis was arrested because of the police officers' bias, largely because the first police detective to arrive at the house after the attack was recorded on the same nanny cam referring to the then unknown attack with obscenities and racial slurs.

Essex County Assistant Prosecutor Jamel Semper said prosecutors were aware that proving the attempted murder charge depended on jurors believing that Custis intended to kill someone before he entered the house.

"We knew from the start that would be a difficult charge to prove, but given the proofs and the violent nature of the crime, we thought it was a question that should be put before the jury, and we're satisfied with their verdict on that," Semper said.

He said the victim was pleased with the outcome. Semper also said Custis had more than a dozen prior felony convictions, including for home invasions across the state.

Jurors deliberated seven hours over two days. Early Wednesday morning, the jury asked Judge Ronald Wigler for details about the attempted murder charge, and whether they had to find that Custis intended to kill the woman.

Wigler said the law requires that the prosecutor prove Custis intended to kill the victim, even if Custis did not state that intention. If jurors could not unanimously agree on that charge, Wigler said, then they had to consider the next charge of aggravated assault.

The first-degree robbery charge carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. However, Semper said Custis' prior convictions would likely lead to an extended term of up to life in prison on the robbery charge.

During the attack in the home, the woman's 3-year-old daughter sat on the couch during the beating and the victim's 18-month-old son was asleep upstairs.

Authorities said Custis broke into the home and discovered the woman, then beat her until she fell to the floor. He then went upstairs, but quickly came down and attacked the woman again as she was trying to get up and reach for a phone.

Days after the attack, police released the video of the attack and received tips from more than 20 people.

Custis was arrested one week after the attack in an apartment in New York City.

Star-Ledger columnist Mark DiIonno contributed to this story.

Tom Haydon may be reached at thaydon@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @Tom_HaydonSL. Find NJ.com on Facebook.