Probation: 2yo twins Elijah and Elyssa Orejuela drowned at unlicensed day care Om Baby

[Sugar Cookie]

The operator of an unlicensed West Knox County day care where twin toddlers drowned last year now faces criminal charges.

A grand jury indicted Jennifer Salley, 35, on two counts of criminally negligent homicide in connection to the deaths of Elijah and Elyssa Orejuela.

On July 20, the twins were found in the deep end of the swimming pool at the home where Salley had been operating a day care called Om Baby.

The toddlers, who were nearly 2 years old, were rushed to East Tennessee Children's Hospital. Elyssa died later the same day. Elijah was pronounced dead two days later.

The Knox County Sheriff's Office launched an investigation that culminated in an indictment being returned last week.

The twins' parents filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Salley in federal court last month, seeking damages that could total more than $50 million.

The lawsuit claims Salley left the toddlers unattended long enough that they were able to get out of a bedroom, move around inside the house, go outside, get onto the deck, pass through one or more gates into the backyard and fall into the swimming pool.

Day care operator indicted for criminally negligent homicide after twin toddlers' drowning

A grand jury indicted Jennifer Salley, 35, on two counts of criminally negligent homicide in connection to the deaths of Elijah and Elyssa Orejuela.

www.knoxnews.com

 

[myra manes]

This bitch was either drunk or high ..

 

[Sejanus]

Waterboard her everyday til she dies

 

[Granmaw]

This bitch was either drunk or high ..

and/or asleep. Bitch needs to be held underwater until the bubbles stop.

 

[BBBLUE77]

Such a preventable, awful tragedy. Unfortunately, the parents do bear some responsibility for using an unlicensed care provider. She could have been a family friend or something, but that would only make it worse.

 

[Keepalowprofile]

How does one allow this to happen on their watch???

 

[Satanica]

By not actually watching. Even if she had a bathroom emergency or something, she could've put them somewhere safe first.

 

[Sugar Cookie]

A Knoxville daycare owner charged in the drowning deaths of twin toddlers pleaded guilty in court Wednesday.

Salley was illegally operating the daycare at her home. Just two months prior to the drowning officials had ordered her to stop running the childcare operation without a license.

Salley was sentenced to a total of four years probation.

The victim’s family agreed with the sentence with the condition that she is never allowed to be in a position to supervise or care for children again and that Salley will be placed on the Tennessee Department of Children’s Services Severe Abuse Registry for the rest of her life.

An attorney read a victim impact statement from the parents before Salley’s sentencing. They said their most important goal is to protect other families by ensuring that Salley is barred from supervising children.

“On July 20th, 2018, our world was destroyed in one phone call. We had entrusted Jennifer Salley with the care of two of the most important things in our lives. Jennifer Salley failed our children that day. Her criminal neglect cost our children their lives and destroyed the family we knew. Her guilt goes far beyond the immeasurable pain of losing the twins. The trail of destruction she left is unfathomable. From the horrors of arriving on the scene and seeing EMS frantically perform CPR on our babies to our older sons walking into an ER room and watching their mother cradle their dead sister’s body...those images don’t disappear. The flashbacks and nightmares...do not go away. There is no punishment for Jennifer Salley that could or would ever equal the suffering our family will endure the rest of our lives due to her criminal conduct. No amount of jail time would turn back time. It wouldn’t bring Elyssa back. It wouldn’t bring Elijah back. It would not bring their laughs back. We have requested that the District Attorney’s office agree to this final and certain resolution because it will help protect other families. Ms. Salley’s acceptance of responsibility and guilty plea to the two permanent felony convictions as charged should deter others from engaging in this type of conduct in the future. Jennifer Salley remaining permanently on the DCS registry and the other conditions required by this resolution should also protect other children. We appreciate the hard work of the District Attorney’s office and the Knox County Sheriff’s Department which led to Ms. Salley accepting responsibility for these criminal offenses, and we also appreciate this Court’s consideration of this resolution. Our love for Elyssa and Elijah will remain unbounded and unending. The true joy we experienced as their parents is impossible to put into words. We cannot explain to the Court or to anyone the impact their loss will always have on our family.”

The twin toddlers named Elijah and Elyssa Orejuela were taken to East Tennessee Children’s Hospital after being found in a pool at OM Baby childcare.

The parents of the twins said after arriving at the hospital they were met by a doctor who did everything he could.

“I begged him, I said bring my daughter back please, and he didn’t hesitate," said Enrique Orejuela. "He went back in there and worked. He wanted to save her, he did.”

The Orejuelas filed a federal lawsuit against Salley claiming that unsafe conditions and Salley’s lack of supervision led to the twins' deaths. The twins were unsupervised for so long, the suit said, that they managed to leave a bedroom, then the house, before getting into a pool.

The suit is asking for $17.48 million in compensatory damages.

Day care owner pleads guilty in drowning deaths of twin toddlers

The owner of OM Baby childcare pleaded guilty to criminally negligent homicide in the death of twin toddlers.

www.wvlt.tv

 

[Keepalowprofile]

.
The Orejuelas filed a federal lawsuit against Salley claiming that unsafe conditions and Salley’s lack of supervision led to the twins' deaths. The twins were unsupervised for so long, the suit said, that they managed to leave a bedroom, then the house, before getting into a pool.

The suit is asking for $17.48 million in compensatory damages.

She would never be able to pay a judgement even if it was 10% of what they are asking for.


Also, didn't the parents drop the ball when they chose to leave their toddler twins at an unlicensed daycare.
An unlicensed daycare with pool.

 

[PixieDust]

This bitch was either drunk or high ..

Yup. That's what I say

 

[Sevens My Charm]

@Satanica I am guilty of putting the one year old in the bathtub with toys to play with when I have a bathroom emergency .. my little has hands of speed and climbing skills experts dream of ..