5-Month-Old Boy Suffers Skull Fracture After North Dakota Daycare Provider Throws Him On Floor

A daycare provider was charged with child abuse Tuesday (June 2) for assaulting an infant boy in Carpio, North Dakota.

The accused, identified as 34-year-old Sarah Babinchak, the operator of Country Steps Daycare, violently assaulted a 5-month-old baby boy. According to the police, she allegedly got mad at the baby as she could not get him to burp and threw him on the floor. The incident took place in December 2019.

Police responded to a phone call from another parent whose daughter informed her parents that Babinchak assaulted the baby. While being interviewed, the girl told investigators that she witnessed the accused throwing the child to the floor.

The child was taken to a hospital where he was treated for a fractured skull, bleeding in the brain, and bruises. According to physicians, the child’s injuries were not caused by a fall or a drop.

According to the court affidavit, two children said Babinchak “throws babies on the floor” while being interviewed by the Children’s Advocacy Center.

When authorities interviewed several other parents of the children who attended the daycare at some point, it was discovered that at least three other children had suffered injuries including bloody nose, scratches and bruising.

Police found a list of violations and safety hazards including an unlocked gun, loose ammunition, and excessively hot temperature inside Babinchak’s home while executing a search warrant on Dec. 13. They also discovered razors in the bathroom and six power outlets uncovered along with several other violations.

Babinchak attended her first court appearance in North Central District Court on Tuesday. She was charged with child abuse, aggravated assault of a victim under age 12, and child neglect. Her next court appearance was yet to be scheduled.

No further information was available at the time.

In a similar incident from last year, a 6-month-old baby suffered a brain hemorrhage after allegedly being slapped on the head at his nursery school in Shawnee, Kansas. The baby sustained several injuries including a bleeding brain and a painful injury to his face during the incident. The child's mother reported the issue after finding red marks on her son’s head and face. Following the incident, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment ordered an emergency suspension of the home daycare's license.