FLORISSANT, Mo. — A St. Louis County woman watching more than a dozen children at an unlicensed day care was indicted by a grand jury Wednesday in connection with the death of an infant earlier this year, police said.
Florissant police said Judy Fields was watching 16 children by herself at a home on Du Bourg Lane when officers responded to a call for an unresponsive child in February. Four-month-old Aion Gibbs was taken to Christian Northwest Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Ramona Butler, a neighbor, said she remembers "chaos and a bunch of screaming."
"(Fields) met the paramedics at the door and then she came out screaming and stuff. She was actually holding the baby," Butler said.
Butler said the child's parents arrived soon after.
"(They were) screaming and crying, and I remember (Fields) being really scared. It was crazy."
The St. Louis County Medical Examiner's office concluded Gibbs died of positional asphyxia, which occurs when a person's body position prevents them from breathing properly for an extended period of time.
"I heard her saying that she had him in a swing. She came back to check on him and he wasn't breathing," Butler said.
Fields, 38, was the owner and operator of the facility, police said. She is facing one count of endangering the welfare of a child resulting in death.
"Nothing we can do or justice we can bring in the courts can make up for the loss of a child. It is of the utmost importance for parents to do their due diligence regarding child care providers and do our best to ensure that tragedies like this never happen," said St. Louis prosecuting attorney Wesley Bell in a prepared statement.
An investigation showed the day care facility was operating illegally without a state license.
"It was very heartbreaking because I didn't know that she wasn't licensed, and my daughter was due to go to her day care," Butler said, adding that Fields charged $75 per week.
Missouri law stipulates that a licensed day care facility can house a maximum of 10 children in "any part of the 24-hour day." A person caring for six or fewer children is not required to be licensed by the state.
An email seeking more information from the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, which regulates child care in Missouri, was not immediately returned.
It was unclear if Fields had an attorney. She was being held at the St. Louis County Justice Center on a $100,000 bond.
Resources for crime victims
If you have been a victim of a crime or know someone who has been, 5 On Your Side has compiled a list of resources.
The Crime Victim Center of St. Louis has multiple programs to support victims of crime. Crime Victim Center’s programs range from direct services to crime victims as well as “creating awareness and change within the systems they encounter.”
Life Outside of Violence "helps those harmed by stabbing, gunshot or assault receive the treatment, support and resources they need to find alternatives to end the cycle of violence."
The Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis has the Neighborhood Healing Network, which serves people who have experienced crime, violence or been the victim of an incident that caused trauma.
The Bullet Related Injury Clinic (BRIC) is a community-based clinic in St. Louis that helps people heal after they have been injured by a bullet. The BRIC was established to help people who are discharged home from the emergency department after being shot.