Minnesota Daycare Worker Arrested for Infant's Fatal Suffocation

Arrest in Infant's Death

• 📌 An arrest has been made in the tragic death of 11-month-old Harvey Mucklebust at the Rocking Horse Daycare in Savage, Minnesota.
• 🎯 The arrested individual is Thea Ludmia Russell, an 18-year-old employee of the daycare center.
• ⚖️ Russell is facing charges of second-degree murder and related offenses and is being held in Scott County jail.

Investigation and Timeline

• 🔍 The arrest follows an intensive, three-month investigation led by the Savage Police Department with support from multiple agencies.
• ⚠️ On Friday, September 19th, police responded to a report of a four-month-old child at the daycare who was briefly not breathing and had blood around her nose and mouth; the child recovered.
• 💔 On Monday, September 22nd, the same four-month-old child was found unresponsive again, and later that morning, 11-month-old Harvey Mucklebust was found not breathing.
• 🚑 Despite life-saving efforts by first responders, Harvey Mucklebust was pronounced deceased at the hospital.

Collaborative Law Enforcement Effort

• 🤝 The investigation involved significant collaboration between the Savage Police Department, Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, Hennepin County Medical Examiner's Office, FBI's Behavioral Analysis Unit, and Scott County Attorney's Office.
• 🤝 Support was also provided by the Department of Children, Youth, and Family Services, Shockby Police Department, Prior Lake Police Department, Scott County Sheriff's Office, and Carver County Sheriff's Office.