CARRINGTON, N.D. — A woman who was allegedly running an unlicensed daycare in Carrington, North Dakota, has been arrested and charged with the murder of a 5-month-old baby boy.
Police said Patricia Wick, 48, was running an unlicensed daycare when first responders were called to her house for an unresponsive 5-month-old baby on Sept. 26, 2022, according to KVRR. The baby was airlifted to a hospital in Fargo, North Dakota where he later died from his injuries.
Court records obtained by KVLY identified the baby as Reed and medical experts said that he had “clearly suffered traumatic head injury and subsequently had a cardiac arrest.”
An autopsy was conducted after his death that showed he died from complications of blunt-force head and neck trauma. According to court records obtained by KVLY, Reed’s manner of death was determined to be homicide.
During an interview, Wick told officers that on Sept. 26, she fed Reed and laid him down, according to court records obtained by KVLY. He woke up about 15 minutes later. Wick allegedly said that she put him in a blanket in the living room as she helped another child in the other room.
She later allegedly admitted to putting Reed down too hard because she was frustrated with him. Minutes later, Wick reportedly heard Reed crying and then vomiting. She said she called the boy’s mother and called 911, according to court records obtained by KVLY.
Wick also reportedly told investigators that another child broke his arm while in her care about two weeks before, according to KVLY.
Wick has been charged with murder, abuse of a child, and operating an unlicensed daycare, according to KVRR.
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