A Rochester day care provider has been charged with a felony after she allegedly shook a 3-year-old and forced the child to sit on the floor for more than six hours.
Rhonda Lee Winslow, 59, of 3003 Crescent Lane N.W., faces one count of malicious punishment of a child. She was charged by summons March 20; her first appearance has been set for April 28 in Olmsted County District Court.
The charge stems from an alleged incident Aug. 1, when a woman picked up her child at Winslow's day care. The child was sitting on a timeout mat in the kitchen, the report says. Winslow told the mother the child had "a meltdown" at 9 a.m.
According to the criminal complaint, Winslow said she had to put the child in an upstairs bedroom for an hour because of her behavior; during that time, she had a 4-year-old day care child watch the other children.
Winslow told the woman her child stayed on a blanket in the kitchen from 10 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. so she could watch the other children, the report says.
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The 3-year-old allegedly told her mother that "Ms. Rhonda shook me hard" and hurt her bones. The mother noted bruises on the child's shoulders on the front and back, the complaint says.
Investigators spoke with the 4-year-old, who reportedly said Winslow asked him to watch the other kids because the 3-year-old got into trouble for crying. According to the complaint, the boy said, "we are not supposed to cry at day care," and "(the 3-year-old) is the only one who goes to the bedroom because she doesn't listen."
The charge carries a penalty of up to five years in prison, a $10,000 fine or both.
