ST. CHARLES COUNTY, Mo. – A St. Charles County judge signed an arrest warrant Wednesday for a Wentzville woman who runs an in-home daycare on suspicion of child endangerment.
According to the Wentzville Police Department’s probable cause statement, the crimes occurred on April 28 and May 2, 2023, at the defendant’s home.
The mother of the victim reported to police that her daughter (age not provided) had sustained bruising to her right forehead, right lower chin, right upper lip, a small bruise to the left side of her face near her eye, a small bruise below her left ear, and small petechial bruising to the left side of her neck, left shoulder, and middle of her back.
Police claim the mother noticed the injuries after picking her child up from Kathy Dawson’s home. Dawson allegedly told the mother that her daughter got the bruises after falling from a ladder on a playset onto gravel.
A child abuse doctor examined the child and determined the variety of the girl’s injuries were not consistent with a single fall onto gravel. The child also suffered an inner ear injury, which the doctor said is “highly associated with abusive injury.”
The St. Charles County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office charged Dawson with second-degree endangering the welfare of a child. Upon her arrest, Dawson will be jailed on a $25,000 bond.
Dawson has prior arrests for abuse or neglect of a child, second-degree endangering the welfare of a child, and stealing.
