Laramie Home Daycare Provider Accused Of Child Abuse
A Laramie woman stands accused of abusing an eight-month-old baby at a home daycare, causing serious injuries. Mishawnna Kayleen Jennings, 36, appeared in Circuit Court yesterday to hear her charge of felony child abuse.
According to a court affidavit, officers learned of the abuse after the child’s parents took him to the Emergency Room at Ivinson Memorial Hospital. Officers were called to the hospital shortly before 4 p.m. on November 5 for a report of suspicious injuries to the boy.
Injuries revealed during a CT scan were so severe that the infant was flown to Denver Children’s Hospital in Aurora, Colo. for immediate treatment.
According to court documents, the infant suffered severe head injury which included a nine millimeter skull fracture on the left rear side of his head. In addition, the scan found a three millimeter subdural hematoma, or pooling of blood outside the brain.
“They found a small fracture in his knee, and he has a small skull fracture— of course swelling and bleeding in the head as well,” said the infant’s mother today.
The boy’s mother says it is still difficult to know how long lasting his injuries may be.
“All they can tell me is it’s going to take time,” she says “It’s going to be a waiting game, and we just have to take it day by day.”
Court document show that police spoke with the baby’s parents and learned that the child was dropped off at Jenning’s home daycare located at 1570 Wyoming Avenue around 7:20 a.m. The child’s mother said that shortly after 3 p.m. she received a call from Jennings saying that when her son awoke from his nap “he was real lethargic, could not hold his head up, nor open his eyes,” according to the affidavit.
The mother and father immediately went to the daycare to pick up their son, and found Jennings “outside of the residence with her arms crossed.” The baby was in his car seat when they arrived. The mother stated that “this was unusual and suspicious as there were other children left inside the residence,” according to court documents.
The mother of the child said today that two of her children were attending Jenning’s home daycare, and she did not have suspicion of abuse until after her baby was injured. She says she had been using the daycare services for about five months and that the daycare was recommended by one of Jenning’s friends.
Police went to Jennings home shortly after 7 p.m. on November 5 and spoke with her about the incident. According to the arrest affidavit, Jennings initially told police she had no explanation as to how the child got the fracture. She said she was frustrated with the baby because he had been fussy, would not stop crying, and was spitting food out when she tried to feed him.
She then told officers that she “took him to the basement of the residence and ‘dropped’ him in a bassinet," according to court documents. She admitted that she dropped him “too hard” and that he may have hit his head on the bassinet’s metal rails.
Jennings expressed remorse and apologized for hurting the child. Police then witnessed Jennings call the boy’s mother and leave a message on her voicemail apologizing for “hurting” him while he was in her care.
Jennings is currently being held at the Albany County Detention Center on a $5,000 cash bond. Her preliminary hearing is set for Monday, November 10 at 2:30 p.m.
Felony child abuse is punishable by not more than five years imprisonment.
*UPDATE* While charging documents obtained today show Jennings is being charged with felony child abuse, an offense punishable up to five years imprisonment, police have provided a press release stating she was arrested for aggravated child abuse, which is punishable of imprisonment up to 25 years. The charge she was read at her initial court appearance was that of felony child abuse. However, prosecutors may alter her charge to reflect aggravated child abuse.