Ex-Eagan Daycare Worker Sentenced For Beating Toddler

EAGAN, MN — An ex-daycare worker from the south Twin Cities metro is headed to prison after authorities found her guilty of beating a toddler. Dakota County Attorney James Backstrom announced that Mariel Alexandra Grimm, age 33, of Eagan, was sentenced Thursday to 86 months in prison in connection with serious injuries she inflicted on a 13-month-old boy she was caring for on Sept. 22, 2016.

Grimm was placed on probation for a period of 15 years, is required to serve 90 days in jail, 60 days of electronic home monitoring, 30 days of sentence to serve and perform 200 hours of community service. Grimm was also ordered to pay a $1,000 fine and restitution.

She was convicted on July 20, 2017, by a Dakota County Jury of first degree assault. The toddler survived, but suffered severe and permanent brain damage as a result of the beating.

“During the trial the jury heard testimony from several medical experts with extensive pediatric and neurological experience who directly treated the child or reviewed the child’s medical records," Backstrom said in a statement.

"These experts concluded that the severe brain injury the child suffered was consistent with abusive head trauma. The jury’s guilty verdict reflects the conclusions reached by these experts and that the defendant caused the abusive head trauma.”

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On behalf of all involved in the investigation and prosecution of this case, Backstrom expressed continuing sorrow to the victim’s family for the serious trauma this child suffered and praised Assistant County Attorney Heather Pipenhagen, who prosecuted the case. He also thanked the Eagan Police Department and the medical professionals who provided care to the toddler.

Read more about this case: Eagan Day Care Provider Guilty Of Assaulting Toddler

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