Child care worker arrested in Oak Creek on charges of child neglect and cocaine possession

Erik S. Hanley, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
·2 min read
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After cocaine was identified in the urine of 1-year-old boy who was covered in scratches, police in Oak Creek arrested a local child care worker.

Police arrested the employee, a 24-year-old woman, on May 22 and took her to the Milwaukee County Jail, according to the Oak Creek Police Department, who issued a news release Tuesday and responded to questions via email from the Journal Sentinel.

The 24-year-old woman could face felony charges of child neglect, possession of a controlled substance “on or near certain places” and a misdemeanor charge of possession of cocaine. The charges have been referred to the Milwaukee County District Attorney’s Office.

Police confirmed the incident happened at Kinder Care, 7677 S. Howell Ave. in Oak Creek.

A K-9 gave a positive indication on an employee’s backpack in the day care’s infant room. Police searched the backpack and found a plastic bag filled with a white powder that was positively identified as cocaine.

"Kinder Care has been cooperating with our investigation," said Oak Creek Police Capt. Andy Sagan.

Police started their investigation after staff at Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin contacted law enforcement on May 15 about a possible case of child abuse. The child’s parents noticed “several scratches and marks” on their infant and brought them to the hospital for evaluation, law enforcement said.

A May 21 urine toxicology report indicated the presence of cocaine metabolites in the child’s urine, according to police.

After detectives and Child Protective Services met with the child’s family at their home, law enforcement brought a K-9 to the childcare facility where the cocaine was discovered.

Police said this is an ongoing investigation.

Contact Erik S. Hanley at erik.hanley@jrn.com. Like his Facebook page, The Redheadliner, and follow him on X @Redheadliner.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Oak Creek police arrest child care worker on child neglect charges