A Wisconsin day care worker has been arrested after allegedly slamming a crying 3-month-old baby into a crib so hard that the infant’s arm broke, according to authorities.
Police say 32-year-old Ashley Marie Karschnick, who worked at Lily Pad Day Care in Fond du Lac, became increasingly frustrated when the baby started crying every time she touched her. The disturbing incident happened on October 13, about 70 miles northwest of Milwaukee.
According to a criminal complaint obtained by local outlet WBAY, police were called after the infant was brought to a children’s hospital with a fractured arm. Investigators reviewed surveillance footage from the day care that allegedly showed Karschnick growing “more and more frustrated” as the day went on.
Around 12:30 p.m., video reportedly captured Karschnick picking up the baby and slamming her down into the crib “with enough force that the side of the crib rocked and a loud thump could be heard,” the affidavit said.
Ten minutes later, she returned to the crib and tried to swaddle the baby to calm her down — but the baby cried even harder, gasping for air in what investigators described as a “blood-curdling scream.” The footage appeared to show that the baby’s arm was limp and not moving properly.
After being read her Miranda rights, Karschnick denied intentionally slamming the child, claiming the crib only moved because she accidentally bumped into it. When detectives asked why the baby was screaming so loudly, she allegedly replied, “I feel like it was the same cry she was giving me. Every time I touched her, she was crying.”
Karschnick was arrested and charged with child abuse-recklessly causing harm. She was booked into jail and later released on a $2,500 bond. She is due back in court on Tuesday.
