Eagan Day Care Provider Guilty Of Assaulting Toddler

EAGAN, MN — Dakota County Attorney James Backstrom announced that Mariel Alexandra Grimm, age 33, of Eagan, was convicted late Thursday of assault in connection with serious injuries inflicted upon a 13-month-old boy she was caring for on Sept. 22, 2016.

The toddler survived, but suffered severe and permanent brain damage as a result of these injuries. The jury deliberated for approximately five hours. At about 1:00 p.m. on Sept. 22, Eagan police officers and medics responded to a call at a home where a day care provider stated a 13-month-old boy in her care was unresponsive.

The toddler had been going to Grimm’s day care since he was nine weeks old. The toddler was dropped off that morning around 7:15 a.m. and neither parent noticed anything out of the ordinary with their son that morning, according to police.

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Around 8:45 a.m., Grimm stated that after he awoke crying from a nap, she changed his diaper, and then he played with toys and other children, while she was home-schooling her two oldest children. At some time later that morning, Grimm placed the baby back in his pack-and-play for a second nap.

At some point prior to the 12:51 p.m. 911 call, Grimm stated the toddler woke up crying. As Grimm changed his diaper, she stated he became stiff and unresponsive. Grimm stated at first she tapped the sides of his face to get him to wake up, and when that didn’t work, she brought him into the bathroom and began splashing cold water on his face, according to authorities.

When the toddler remained unconscious, Grimm contacted the toddler's mother who told her to hang up and call 911. Later, Grimm mentioned that before his second nap, the baby was playing on the floor with some toys and seemed fine.

Grimm confirmed she was the only adult present in the residence the entire time that morning, and none of the other children present in the home, who were age seven years and younger, appeared to have unsupervised contact with the toddler.

A child abuse pediatrician who examined the toddler found no medical cause to account for his severe brain injury and that this injury was consistent with abusive head trauma, which could not have been caused by a short fall or injury inflicted by another young child in the day care, according to a news release.

This expert also testified during the trial that the subdural hemorrhage suffered by this toddler is the type of trauma associated with a violent acceleration-deceleration event, such as a high-speed motor vehicle collision or if a child is violently shaken or thrown.

A neurosurgeon who performed the emergency surgery on the toddler opined that the toddler would have become unresponsive either immediately or shortly after this head trauma occurred.

Backstrom commented in a statement: "We are pleased to have brought Mariel Grimm to justice for this serious crime. Our thoughts are extended to the toddler’s parents and family for his ongoing care."

Backstrom praised Assistant County Attorney Heather Pipenhagen who prosecuted the case. Backstrom thanked the Eagan Police Department and the medical professionals who provided care to this toddler.

Judge David Knutson ordered a pre-sentence investigation and set the sentencing for Sept. 29, 2017 at 9:00 a.m. in Hastings.

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