Minnesota Daycare Worker Arrested for Infant’s Death

A daycare worker in Minnesota has confessed to suffocating an 11-month-old boy last fall, an act she described as “attention-seeking,” according to police reports.

Chief Brady Jewell of Savage Police confirmed that Thea Loudemia Russell, 18, is currently in custody facing charges of second-degree murder. She is scheduled for formal arraignment on Thursday.

Jewell noted that Russell has a history of troubling behavior, which includes making excessive 911 calls, starting fires, and displaying erratic conduct toward other children.

A 911 call was dispatched from the Rocking Horse Ranch daycare on September 22, indicating that 11-month-old Harvey Muklebust was not breathing. Emergency responders arrived promptly, but sadly, the child was pronounced dead at the hospital.

Interestingly, just three days before Harvey’s incident, police were called to the same daycare for another unresponsive baby, only four months old. Moreover, two hours prior to the call concerning Harvey, another 4-month-old was also found unresponsive without authorities being alerted.

During investigations, police became suspicious of Russell’s actions at the scene, which led them to focus on her as the primary suspect. After a detailed inquiry that lasted three months, authorities found consistency in her presence during all three incidents at the daycare where children were harmed.

According to Chief Jewell, Russell admitted to choking both Muklebust and another child as a way to draw attention to herself. She reportedly confessed to the attempted murders, claiming that her actions were deliberate.

It’s worth noting that Russell had only been employed at the daycare for three weeks prior to the tragic event.

The owner of the Rocking Horse Ranch, Lisa Weiss, has refrained from commenting on the situation following the infant’s death. The Minnesota Department of Human Services has temporarily suspended the daycare’s license, although there’s an ongoing appeal regarding the suspension.

As of Friday, Russell was listed as an inmate at Scott County Jail, facing not only the murder charge but also another charge of serious bodily injury.