Kare11
Parents demand answers for alleged abuse at Blaine daycare
According to police, two employees at Small World Learning Center in Blaine were involved in “aggressively abusing children.”
BLAINE, Minn. — Christina and Cody Pech describe their 5-month-old son Cassian as a “happy boy” who loves to smile and play with his toys.
“It’s just been really cool to see and watch him grow,” Christina said, “into this whole little person.”
But when Cassian started daycare at Small World Learning Center in Blaine this spring, his parents said they grew extremely concerned about his welfare inside the facility.
“He started on the 13th of May, and by May 23, he had come home with a bruise,” Christina Pech said. “And none of our concerns seemed to be taken seriously.”
The Pech family has now identified Cassian as one of three infants harmed in a child abuse case under investigation by Blaine police. In a news release issued this weekend, the department announced the arrests of Small World Learning Center employees Elizabeth Wiemerslage and Chloe Johnson for “aggressively abusing children,” triggered first by a call from Children’s Minnesota last Tuesday.
According to a criminal complaint, surveillance video shows Wiemerslage and Johnson “violently” flipping, pulling and slamming infants. In one video, investigators wrote that Johnson is seen “holding a cloth over the infant’s mouth and nose for several seconds” while the baby cried. Citing medical reports, Blaine police said one infant suffered “sustained bruising in nine different areas.”
Christian Pech said her son had multiple bruises across his body and also broke one of his leg bones.
“Just disgusted that people could do this to children. Their innocence, I just… it’s just sick and twisted to me,” Christina said.
Cody Pech added: “We just really want answers for how this could go on for so long.”
It’s unclear if Wiemerslage or Johnson have retained attorneys. They initially told investigators that one of the child’s bruises could have been caused by the chair or swing inside the classroom, and at one point Johnson told officers that “she was helping the infants learn how to roll over.”
“But ultimately,” the complaint reads, “[Johnson] admitted she was too rough” and that her behavior might have caused bruising in one of the children. Also, investigators wrote that Wiemerslage “admitted to her behavior” and “that it was wrong.”
In a statement, Small World Learning Center management said “We as a company do not condone the acts of the two individuals involved in the incident.”
“The two teachers in question were terminated immediately and indefinitely. We are remaining open to continue supporting our families who rely on us for care and stability during this difficult time. We want to remind everyone that in the 24 years the Small World Learning Center organization has been open, that this is the first time something of this nature has happened,” management wrote in the statement. “We have a team of fully dedicated teachers who love what they do and are here for the safety and well being of the children in their care. We are cooperating with the Blaine Police Department and DHS to locate any weaknesses in our policies and procedures to ensure this does not happen again.”
Blaine Police Chief Brian Podany said Small World’s management has been fully cooperative with the investigation. However, although the criminal complaint focuses on three infants, Podany said more families have come forward with allegations since the announcement of the arrests.
“When we began reviewing video, it certainly became apparent right away that we had a problem here,” Podany said. “What’s particularly disturbing about this case is that you have two people that are present during this.”
On Monday, families told KARE 11 they met with Small World management at the Blaine facility to discuss the allegations.
Minnesota State Rep. Nolan West, who represents the area, attended the meeting. He said his own son previously attended Small World Learning Center in Blaine and that he, too, had come home with bruising before the family switched to a new daycare.
“The fact that this was clearly going on on a daily basis is insane,” West said. “You would never have guessed it. It’s terrible.”
Christina and Cody Pech said their son has returned to his “smiley” self, despite all the trauma he went through.
Still, Christina said she wants justice against the two employees.
“I want them to be punished for what they did to my son,” Pech said, “and for every other child that was in their care.”
The council argues that the HERC must be closed to comply with the city’s zero waste policy, which was passed back in 2017.
MINNEAPOLIS — The Minneapolis City Council unanimously approved a plan to shut down the Hennepin Energy Recovery Center (HERC) on Thursday.
The resolution comes after decades of protests against the massive North Loop trash incinerator that burns roughly 365,000 tons of garbage a year.
“Today is a big step towards protecting the health of our communities and addressing longstanding environmental injustices that disproportionately impact communities of color,” said councilmember Robin Wonsley, in a statement.
The resolution calls for the incinerator to be permanently closed by Dec 31, 2027 and for the entire facility to be shut down by Dec 31, 2033.
The council argues that the HERC must be closed to comply with the city’s zero waste policy, which was passed back in 2017.
In October 2023, the Hennepin County Board signed off on a plan to close the HERC between 2028 and 2040, depending on how quickly the county can transition into a zero-waste system.
Of the garbage burned at the HERC, 75% comes from the city of Minneapolis. The other 25% comes from a dozen other cities in the area. The HERC produces enough energy to power more than 25,000 homes and half the buildings in downtown Minneapolis.
At a City Council Meeting on Oct. 10, Jenni Lansing with the City of Minneapolis Health Department provided analysis on the air pollution impacts of HERC. She said the health department supports working towards a zero-waste future and the ultimate closure of HERC, but said closing it now is not the solution.
“Overall emissions in Hennepin County are dominated by on-road and non-road, mobile and nonpoint sources, and these sources drive the cancer and non-cancer risks to health in Minneapolis,” Lansing said.
Hennepin County defines zero waste as preventing 90% or more of all discarded materials from being landfilled or incinerated.
This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.
The snow is really coming down in some places with Maple Lake getting 3.5″ so far.
GOLDEN VALLEY, Minn. — The wettest Halloween storm ever — is making mischief before little trick-or-treaters hit their neighborhood’s slushy streets.
Officials are reporting several power outages and car spin-outs.
There have been over 14,000 power outages, according to Xcel Energy.
The Minnesota State Patrol has responded to 169 crashes and 94 vehicles off the road, as of 2. pm. Thursday.
Meteorologist Beny Dery said an additional 1 to 2″ of snow is possible before things taper off this evening.
So far some of the totals around town are: 3.5″ Maple Lake, 3.0″ Buffalo, 2.5″ Dassel, 2.4″ Windom, 2.0″ St. Bonifacious, 1.5″ Maple Plain and 1.5″ in Bethel.
The snow is expected to let up from west to east and should wrap up for the metro between 5 to 6 p.m.
Last week, prosecutors charged John Sawchak with attempted 2nd-degree murder and other felony charges after he allegedly shot his neighbor Davis Moturi.
MINNEAPOLIS — Following the shooting between two neighbors, the Minneapolis City Council voted unanimously to request that the city’s auditor conduct an independent investigation into the incidents and cases between Davis Moturi and John Sawchak.
Moturi was allegedly shot by his neighbor, Sawchak, on Wednesday, Oct. 23 but Minneapolis police did not arrest Sawchak until days later.
Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara defended not arresting Sawchak sooner, calling it a “high-risk” situation. O’Hara later said the victim, who had complained about harassment from Sawchak for months, was failed by police. Sawchak was arrested this past weekend after an hours-long standoff.
Moturi suffered a fractured spine, two broken ribs, and a concussion in the shooting. “Mr. Moturi’s life matters and I’m sorry that for nearly a year, MPD did not treat it like it did,” said Council Member Robin Wonsley in a news release, “Today’s vote affirms that the City Council is committed to taking meaningful actions towards accountability and restoration, starting with this independent review.”
Meanwhile, a spokesperson for Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey released this statement:
“Mayor Frey fully supports an independent review of this incident. The mayor and City are committed to always doing better, and this means closely examining past actions and finding where there may be ways to improve and grow. The mayor extends his condolences to Davis Moturi, his wife, Caroline, and their family and friends. The safety of our residents is a top priority and any form of violence or hate speech is completely unacceptable and does not align with who we are as a community. Brian O’Hara will continue to be the Minneapolis Police Chief.”
