:quality(85)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/infobae/7HXRRE23EBBQPNCZURCAL4L7LM.jpg "A daycare operator was sentenced to almost 19 years in prison for the death of a baby, the woman did not have a license")
Patricia Wick, a 48-year-old woman from Jamestown, North Dakota, was recently convicted of murder and child abuse after operating an unlicensed daycare center that resulted in the death of a baby and injuries to another child.
State District Judge James Hovey sentenced Wick to nearly 19 years in prison for her crimes, with an additional 20 years on probation. She was also ordered to register as a child molester and pay $810 in court fees for the child abuse charge. Wick had pleaded guilty to murder and child abuse charges earlier this year, as well as a misdemeanor charge for operating an unlicensed daycare center.
The tragic incident occurred on September 26, 2022, when authorities responded to an emergency call at Wick’s daycare center reporting an unconscious five-month-old baby. The infant, later identified as Redd, was airlifted to a hospital but tragically succumbed to his injuries. The autopsy revealed that Redd had suffered a traumatic head injury, leading to his death, which was classified as a homicide.
In addition to Redd’s death, another child at Wick’s daycare reportedly suffered a broken arm after falling from a swing in the backyard. Wick failed to immediately report this incident to the child’s parents.
Wick’s defense attorney, Samuel Gereszek, and the Foster County Prosecutor’s Office have not issued immediate statements following the sentencing. The community of Jamestown is left reeling from this tragic event and the loss of an innocent child.
As Patricia Wick begins her prison sentence, authorities continue to investigate the full extent of the harm caused by her actions. The impact of her neglect and abuse on the families of these children is immeasurable, and justice has been served in the sentencing of this dangerous daycare operator.