WINONA — A woman accused of not following court-ordered visitation — and claiming she put the child in foster care without the father's knowledge — now faces multiple felonies.
Cherie Dawn Robinson, 44, of Winona made her initial appearance Wednesday in Winona County District Court, where she's been charged with three counts of deprivation of parental rights.
She was released in lieu of $1,000 bond and is due back in court Oct. 23.
The criminal cases began Aug. 30, when a man called law enforcement. He showed officers a copy of a court order that indicated he was to have custody of a child from 6 p.m. Sunday through 3:30 p.m. Thursday.
Though it was Wednesday, the man said Robinson hadn't dropped the child off as expected; she and the child weren't at her home.
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When officers contacted Robinson that day, she claimed the child was with relatives, but wouldn't provide any other information.
On Sept. 5, investigators learned the child had been enrolled at a Winona public school, but wasn't present the first day of classes. Attempts to reach Robinson that day were unsuccessful.
The next day, the man called law enforcement again; he hadn't seen the child in 10 days, the complaint says. The man said he'd received a letter from the child about switching schools, but the letter didn't identify the new school.
The man and Robinson hadn't discussed a school change either, the report says.
Investigators found Robinson, who said the man hadn't allowed the child to attend family funerals, then she became angry at the officials, court documents say, eventually slamming the door in their faces.
A few weeks later, on Oct. 1, the man contacted law enforcement again, and said Robinson hadn't dropped the child off that evening as required.
Two days later, the man said Robinson stopped at his home and dropped off the child's cell phone, then shut the door and left.
She told also told him that day that she'd put the child in foster care.
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On Oct. 4, authorities learned Robinson was trying to enroll the child in a school in Wisconsin without the knowledge or consent of the other parent.
She allegedly also told members of law enforcement in Wisconsin that the child had been placed in a foster home, and wouldn't allow them to enter the Wisconsin residence where she was staying.
The court documents don't make clear where the child is.
