Woman Watching 16 Children Indicted In Death Of Baby At Unlicensed Florissant Daycare

[Sugar Cookie]

A woman watching more than a dozen children at an unlicensed daycare was indicted by a grand jury Wednesday in connection with the death of an infant earlier this year, police said.

Florissant police said Judy Fields was watching 16 children by herself at a home on Du Bourg Lane when officers responded to a call for an unresponsive child in February. The four-month-old boy was taken to Christian Northwest Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Ramona Butler, a neighbor, said she remembers "chaos and a bunch of screaming."

"(Fields) met the paramedics at the door and then she came out screaming and stuff. She was actually holding the baby," Butler said.

Butler said the child's parents arrived soon after.

"(They were) screaming and crying, and I remember (Fields) being really scared. It was crazy."

The St. Louis County Medical Examiner's office concluded the child died of positional asphyxia, which occurs when a person's body position prevents them from breathing properly for an extended period of time.


"I heard her saying that she had him in a swing. She came back to check on him and he wasn't breathing," Butler said.

Fields, 38, was the owner and operator of the facility, police said. She is facing one count of endangering the welfare of a child resulting in death.

An investigation showed the daycare facility was operating illegally without a state license.

"It was very heartbreaking because I didn't know that she wasn't licensed, and my daughter was due to go to her daycare," Butler said, adding that Fields charged $75 per week.

Missouri law stipulates that a licensed daycare facility can house a maximum of 10 children in "any part of the 24-hour day." A person caring for six or fewer children is not required to be licensed by the state.

Woman indicted in death of baby at unlicensed Florissant day care

Florissant police said Judy Fields was watching 16 children by herself at a home on Du Bourg Lane when 4-month-old Aion Gibbs was found unresponsive.

www.ksdk.com

 

[Sugar Cookie]

Aion Gibbs

 

[McDanel]

Nobody can "watch" 16 children.

ETA: Unless Benadryl is your co-worker

 

[slovakianrenner]

That Animal is scary to look at , I know that I'm not much to look at either , but DAMN she scary