SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — Day care owner Ametrea Christion of Sioux Falls, who faces one count of abuse or cruelty to a minor, appeared in a Minnehaha County courtroom Friday where her lawyer entered a not guilty plea on her behalf. The 44-year-old Christion owns Wildflower Academy, which closed in October.
According to court papers, there is video of what happened at Wildflower Academy in August; this video reportedly shows Christion hitting an 11-year-old boy in the head, and as he attempts to run away, Christion “pulls him back by his hair.” Court documents go on to say that the boy falls while Christion strikes him again. The affidavit goes on to say that as Christion prepares to hit him once more, “[a]nother adult in the room appears to say something” and Christion lets go of the boy.
According to court documents, Christion initially told police the video was “fake.” Her lawyer told KELOLAND News on Friday he would not comment on the case, and that he was also advising his client to not speak to the media.
The judge Friday ordered Christion to have no contact with the alleged victim in the case. A preliminary hearing was set for 45 days from Friday.
The South Dakota Department of Social Services’ website lists Wildflower Academy, which was a day care center licensed by the state, as a suspended provider. And as this criminal case unfolds, concerns about day care availability persist for many South Dakota families.
