UPDATE: keloland.com has reported that the injured child has died. “Orange City Police Chief Jim Pottebaum says the three-year-old child in the day care abuse case died on Thursday around 5:40 p.m. in the hospital,” the news outlet reported.——
ORANGE CITY, IOWA – On October 29, 2013, officers with the Sioux Falls Police Department, the Orange City Police Department, and the Minnehaha County Sheriff’s Office responded to Sanford Hospital in Sioux Falls to investigate a report of possible child abuse. Officers found a three-year-old Orange City girl with serious head injuries, including a fractured skull and brain trauma. The Orange City Police Department requested the assistance of the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation to further investigate the report of child abuse.
The child’s mother reported that the child received the injuries while in the care of her daycare provider, Rochelle Lynn Sapp, at the Sapp residence located at 706 10th Street SE in Orange City. Sapp, age 33, initially reported that the child’s injuries occurred when the child fell down a flight of stairs. However, the investigation revealed that the child’s injuries were not consistent with a fall down a flight of stairs, and upon being questioned, Sapp admitted that she caused the child’s injuries by throwing the child to the floor. The child remains in critical condition with life threatening injuries.
Following consultation with the Sioux County Attorney, Coleman J. McAllister, it was determined that probable cause existed to obtain a warrant for the arrest of Rochelle Lynn Sapp. Rochelle Lynn Sapp was arrested on Thursday morning, taken to the Sioux County Jail, and charged with Willful Injury, a Class C felony; and Child Endangerment Resulting in Serious Injury, a Class C felony. She will make her initial appearance in Sioux County District Court within the next 24 hours.
The agencies involved in the investigation include the Orange City Police Department, the Minnehaha County Sheriff’s Office, the Sioux Falls Police Department, and the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation.
Let’s all be thankful she didn’t get charged with drugs or she’d be looking at real time. Willful injury, first offense with parole? She could do that time standing on her head. Just look at her smile.
Yes, Peter L, this is a serious situation, but how could she be charged with murder when the article states the child is in critical condition, thus the child is not dead?