Warning: This report contains graphic descriptions of child abuse
Two Anoka County women are each charged with four criminal counts involving alleged child abuse of three infant victims at a Blaine, Minn., daycare facility that charges say was captured on video last week.
Elizabeth Augusta Wiemerslage, 22, of Coon Rapids, and Chloe Kaye Johnson, 24, of Andover are accused of “roughly” handling at least three infants at the daycare that resulted in multiple bruises on at least one of the infants. Two other infants were reported to be undergoing medical evaluations in relation to the incidents, charges say.
A parent of one of the infant victims posted on Facebook about the charges on Saturday and identified the daycare as Small World Learning Center at 1390 Paul Parkway NE in Blaine.
The parent said their five-month-old son “received scratches and bruises all over his body and suffered a fractured leg from their abuse.”
“The despicable humans that did this were arrested on Thursday but are already out on bail,” he posted.
Charges describe that police were contacted on July 16 on a report of potential child abuse that had occurred at the daycare center the day prior. Parents of a five-month-old girl (Infant 1) found multiple areas of unexplained bruising on the infant’s thighs, groin, buttocks, and legs during a diaper change.
They contacted the daycare center to inquire about the bruising and were told it might be from the chair or swing in the immobile infant room. They provided photos to officers of Infant 1 in the referenced chairs, and the leg holes did not appear tight enough to cause marks or bruising.
Police spoke to Wiemerslage and Johnson who the daycare director said were the teachers in Infant 1’s room that day. Both defendants told police they hadn’t noticed any bruising on Infant 1 on July 15, but both suggested the bruising could have been from the swing or chairs used in the room.
Police obtained surveillance video from July 15 that showed Johnson and Wiermerslage caring for multiple infants in the young infant room. All infants appeared to be immobile and were not walking or crawling.
Johnson was seen handling Infant 1 roughly on multiple occasions. Just after 9 a.m., Johnson was sitting with Infant 1 on a floor mat and started moving Infant 1 around aggressively. Over the next several minutes, Johnson grabbed Infant 1 by her upper thighs, hip, and groin area and violently flipped Infant 1 back and forth from her stomach to her back, not allowing Infant 1 to remain on one side for longer than a few seconds. Infant 1’s arms were flailing outward, and her body was consistently rigid as her face contacted the floor mat repeatedly as she was being flipped and her head was unsupported. There was no audio, but Infant 1 appeared to be screaming with her mouth open as this was happening, charges said.
Wiermerslage was present and moving around the small area during the activity, and for a period was sitting a few feet in front of Johnson, facing her as Infant 1 was being flipped.
In the video, Johnson was also seen picking up another infant (Infant 2) roughly and holding a cloth over the infant’s mouth and nose for several seconds while Infant 2 was crying. Johnson was gripping Infant 2 firmly by the neck before she violently pulled the child up by the arm and shoved a bottle repeatedly in and out of Infant 2’s mouth, too rapidly for Infant 2 to be drinking from it. Later in the video, Johnson was seated next to Weimerslage who picked up Infant 2 and violently slammed the infant down onto a support pillow.
At another time, Weimerslage was seen picking up another infant (Infant 3) and aggressively shoving the child down onto a changing table. Later, Weimerslage violently picked up Infant 3 by only their arm while Infant 3 was visibly crying, and she aggressively moved the infant around on the mat as Johnson watched.
Weimerslage was then seen with Infant 1, who was lying on the mat. Weimerslage aggressively dragged Infant 1 toward her by her legs before she picked up the infant and aggressively slammed Infant 1 into a support pillow and pressed down hard on Infant 1’s torso and abdomen. Weimerslage was attempting to feed Infant 1 a bottle, who was visibly crying, and roughly moved Infant 1’s head in another direction.
Johnson initially told officers she was helping the infants learn how to roll over, but ultimately admitted she was too rough, and admitted her behavior could have caused Infant 1’s bruising. Weimerslage also admitted to her behavior and told police that it was wrong, the criminal complaint says.
Both Wiemerslage and Johnson have been charged in Anoka County District Court with felony counts of malicious punishment of a child and third-degree assault, both involving a child under age four, as well as two gross misdemeanor counts of malicious punishment of a child.
A search of social media found a Facebook post by another person who claimed they pulled their child out of the same facility a month earlier after the child repeatedly had “multiple mysterious” injuries that included a bloody nose, rug burns, and marks on his body. “People knew what was going on there and did nothing,” the person posted.
Both women made their initial court appearances on Friday and were subsequently released from custody. Court records show Wiemerslage was granted a public defender and Johnson has retained a private attorney. Wiemerslage is scheduled to make her next court appearance on Aug. 12, Johnson on Sept. 19.
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Minnesota Crime Watch & Information publishes news, info and commentary about crime, public safety and livability issues in Minneapolis, the Twin Cities and Greater Minnesota.
Crime Watch MN
Minnesota Crime Watch & Information publishes news, info and commentary about crime, public safety and livability issues in Minneapolis, the Twin Cities and Greater Minnesota.
