WAUSAU, WI (WSAU-WAOW) — A woman offering child care services in Wausau has been charged with child abuse.
Merisa Sell, 28, is charged with child abuse, intentionally causing great bodily harm. In August a 16-month-old girl fell from a high chair when in Sell’s care at her daycare. When Sell noticed the child was having trouble breathing she called 911.
Sell told ambulance crews that the child fell on the wooden floor on her bottom. When doctors examined the child several hours later, they found bleeding outside the toddler’s brain. These injuries were inconsistent with the story Stell told the ambulance workers. Court documents obtained by WAOW-TV, state the doctor who examined the toddler said, “the subdural hemorrhage is a concern for inflicted trauma.”
Shortly after the incident, Sell made a Facebook post to sell all of her daycare equipment. Sell’s online pages describe her as someone with almost two decades of childcare experience. But Sell is unlicensed and not certified for professional childcare.
There is a separate charge against Sell for a 2015 incident involving a 4-month-old who also suffered a brain bleed under her care.
A warrant is out for Sell’s arrest. If convicted for the two charges of child abuse, she faces up to 80 years in prison.
