Wallingford Day Care Owner Arrested: Police

WALLINGFORD, CT — A Wallingford day care owner has been arrested in connection with the investigation of the verbal and physical abuse of several children earlier this year, according to police.

Brenda L. Fornal, 61, and her boyfriend Grant Freer, 66, were both arrested Tuesday on a warrant in connection with the investigation that was first reported Aug. 28 to the Department of Children and Families, and subsequently the Wallingford Police Department, according to Officer Alex Torres.

Torres said Wallingford detectives found that nine children were the “victims of verbal and physical abuse” while at Fornal’s home day care on Ridgetop Road in Wallingford.

During the course of the investigation, Torres said detectives obtained evidence that developed probable cause and an arrest warrant was obtained. Fornal and Freer turned themselves in to police, according to Torres.

Fornal was charged with nine counts of risk of injury to child, seven counts of third-degree assault, two counts of second-degree threatening, and one count each of voyeurism with malice and fourth-degree sexual assault. She was held in lieu of a $125,000 bond with a court date of Dec. 23.

Freer, of Hamden, was charged with conspiracy to commit risk of injury to child. He was held in lieu of a $1,000 bond with a court date of Dec. 23.