An Eagan day care provider has been convicted of first-degree assault in connection with permanent brain injuries inflicted on a 13-month-old boy who was in her care.
Eagan home day care provider found guilty, denies inflicting brain injuries on baby
An Eagan day care provider has been convicted of first-degree assault in connection with permanent brain injuries inflicted on a 13-month-old boy who was in her care.
July 24, 2017 at 12:12PM
Mariel A. Grimm, 33, was found guilty Thursday by a Dakota County District Court jury and remains free ahead of sentencing on Sept. 29.
According to the prosecution, Grimm called 911 early in the afternoon last Sept. 22 and said the boy, who had been in her care since he was 9 weeks old, was unresponsive.
She said the boy woke up that morning crying; she changed his diaper and fed him, then placed him in his pack-and-play carrier before home-schooling her four children.
The boy awoke again, this time "stiff … and unresponsive," the criminal complaint read. Grimm called the boy's mother and 911.
A doctor's examination found bleeding on the brain that indicated the boy was violently shaken or thrown, the complaint continued.
Authorities have not disclosed the name of the child, who suffered severe and permanent brain damage due to the injuries, said a statement from the county attorney's office.
In a posting on a fundraising page established on behalf of Grimm, she wrote after the verdict:
"For those of you who don't know me, I never hurt [the] baby … in any way, ever."
She then thanked "those of you who do know me … for your love and support through this seemingly never-ending nightmare."
At the time Grimm was charged, her attorney said the county had opened a child protection investigation against his client.
Grimm taught prekindergartners at one time at Divinity Lutheran Church in St. Paul, according to a staff member at the church.
