A Wisconsin girl charged with first-degree intentional homicide reportedly told police she stomped on a 6-month-old baby’s head at a daycare in an effort to stop the child from crying after she dropped him and panicked.
The 10-year-old girl, who was not identified, sobbed in Chippewa County Circuit Court on Monday as a judge placed her on a $50,000 bond. Her case will, at least initially, be held in adult court, prosecutors said.
The incident began on Oct. 30, when the baby was found unresponsive and bleeding from the head at a licensed home daycare in Tilden near Chippewa Falls. The child was taken to the hospital, but died Nov. 1. Afterward, a doctor called Chippewa County Sheriff’s Office and told investigators he believed the baby’s death wasn’t an accident.
The girl later "confessed to her involvement in the situation” when investigators interviewed her. She told police she was holding the baby when she dropped him. The child began crying after his head hit a footstool. She then panicked and stomped on the child’s head, Sheriff James Kowalczyk said.
The girl was living with her foster parents, who ran the daycare. She was removed from her biological parents’ home in September, but the reason for the move was not disclosed.
The girl’s biological parents were in court Monday.
Defense attorney Kirby Harless asked for a smaller bond, saying there was no reason to believe the girl wouldn't appear for future court proceedings.
"She would like to return home, and given her age, that may be appropriate," Harless said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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