WEST FORK (KFSM) -- The driver of a van is facing a misdemeanor charge of endangering the welfare of a minor after police said she left a three-year-old girl in the vehicle for more than four hours outside Growing God's Kingdom Preschool in West Fork, according to an arrest warrant.
West Fork City Prosecutor J. Jason Boyeskie requested a warrant for Connie Ramey, 56, on Friday (Oct. 9) and said she was given an arraignment date of Oct. 20 after turning herself in.
According to the police report, Ramey said she started her bus route on Sept. 9 at 6:15 a.m. and picked up the child at 7:15 a.m. The child's mother signed the school roster for that day, the report states. Ramey said she dropped off the children at Growing God's Kingdom at 7:50 a.m. and left for her second route at about 8 a.m., according to the report. Ramey returned to the preschool from her second route at 9 a.m., the report states.
Ramey told police the child was in the third row all the way to the left by the window in her car seat, according to the report.
Both times a Growing God's Kingdom employee helped Ramey get the children off the van and into the school, the report states.
Once she dropped off the last group of children, Ramey said she parked the van in the preschool parking lot and did her paperwork for about 15 minutes before going to the back of the bus to shut off the alarm, according to the report.
"I don't know why I didn't see her, I was in the van doing paperwork for 20 minutes and I never heard her," Ramey said.
Ramey then went inside the school and stopped by each classroom to sign the children in, the report states. The driver told police when she went to the three-year-old girl's classroom the teacher wasn't there, so she signed the children in and left, according to the report. The classroom roster showed the child had not been signed into the classroom, the report states.
Ramey clocked out at 9:50 a.m. and took a two hour nap because she wasn't feeling well that day, according to the report.
Ramey returned to work at about 1 p.m. and noticed the child was still on the van at about 1:50 p.m., the report states. The driver told police she panicked and got the child something to drink before notifying Justin and Marsha Harris, who own Growing God's Kingdom, according to the report. Once the child was inside, Marsha Harris took off the girl's clothes and began to wet her down, the report states. Since no one had called 911, Justin Harris made the call at about 2:35 p.m., according to the report.
While waiting for EMS to arrive, Ramey and the Harrises took the child's temperature and changed her clothes since she had wet herself while inside the van, the report states. The girl's temperature was 97 degrees Fahrenheit, according to the report.
"She's okay, she's alive and I thank God for that," Ramey said.
State Rep. Justin Harris, R-West Fork, released the following statement to 5NEWS regarding the pending charges:
"Since this is a legal matter pertaining to a former employee, I will refrain from making comment about this incident or the circumstances surrounding these recent developments. Our goal will be to continue to provide a safe, happy and loving environment for all of the children at Growing God’s Kingdom."
According to transportation requirements for child care centers issued by DHS, a child care facility has to maintain a roster listing the date, names and ages of all children being transported and the roster is to be used to check children on and off the vehicle when they are picked up and dropped off at home and the child care facility.
The requirements also state the driver or facility staff member is required to walk through the vehicle and physically inspect each seat to make sure no child is left behind. The person who checked the vehicle must also sign the roster to verify there were no children left on board. To make sure all the children are at the child care facility, a designated person at the facility is required to check the transportation roster against attendance records and sign off on it.
Any vehicles that transport more than seven passengers and a driver are also required to have a child safety alarm device installed. The alarm system requires the driver to walk to the very back of the vehicle to be turned off.