The 47-year-old child care operator reportedly left 9 children under the age of three at the daycare on their own while she left her home for approximately 12 minutes to do a pickup at a local high school. The child care provider reportedly left her home for around 12 minutes to do a pickup at a local high school, leaving all 9 young children unsupervised.
She reportedly placed the 8-month-old infant, along with several other children, into car seats before she left. The doctor said the car seat chest clip may have prevented the baby boy from breathing.
The 47-year-old child care operator from Missouri, Deborah Lundstrom, is now facing multiple charges, including: first-degree involuntary manslaughter, first-degree endangering the welfare of a child resulting in death, eight counts of first-degree endangering the welfare of a child, and operating a child care facility without a license.
This unfortunate incident occurred on March 2. Officers responded to the suspect’s home following a report of an infant not breathing.
The responding officers reportedly performed CPR on the infant until first responders arrived. Unfortunately, the 8-month-old child died at a local hospital, per reports.
According to the police officials, the 47-year-old child care operator reportedly left her home for around 12 minutes to do a pickup at a local high school, leaving all 9 children unsupervised.
Investigators believe the woman reportedly placed the 8-month-old infant, along with several other children, into car seats before she left.
During an interview with investigators, the suspect reportedly said that her 18-year-old daughter was home during that time. But, her daughter told officers she had gone to a park with her boyfriend and was not home.
An autopsy determined that the baby died as a result of asphyxiation. The doctor said the car seat chest clip may have prevented the baby boy from breathing. It did not appear the baby boy died of an assault, officials said.
One of the suspect’s neighbors, Dirk Rowe, reportedly told investigators that he knew the 47-year-old woman ran a daycare, but says he never saw kids outside the house.
Dirk Rowe told KY3: “I think she may have mentioned it. I’ve spoken to her maybe two or three times over the two years we’ve lived here so I think she’s mentioned it before.
It’s always shocking when something like this happens. It’s a quiet neighborhood. We enjoy being here. We enjoy the neighbors. I’m surprised this would happen here.”
This incident remains under investigation. This is a developing story and it will be updated as new information become available.