Iowa: Daycare provider Melissa Anderson Denies Wrongdoing in Child Endangerment Charges

IOWA -- A Des Moines woman is out of jail on bond Thursday after being charged with two counts of child endangerment.

Melissa Anderson was arrested Wednesday; police say while caring for two children her pit bull attacked them.

Anderson says the two were her god-children, the attack never happened, and she’s innocent of the charges.

According to court documents the children had multiple lacerations, cuts, bleeding, and infection did not happen under her care.

“When they were saying everything happened, it was me, my youngest sister, my kid’s grandmother and my kids [here], so they were never left unattended, the dogs were never left unattended, a pit bull is always locked up or if they were in a room, the pit bull was in another room” said Anderson.

According to court documents the children were dropped off by their mother on November 11, and Anderson brought them back the next day. Anderson’s friend Kay Miles says they were only told something was wrong much later that evening.

“I said, ‘you didn’t see this on your kids?’ She says right there in both of our faces, ‘no I didn’t see anything’, well I told her ‘you gotta be Stevie Wonder not to see that, because as soon as you sent the pictures to Melissa’s phone so we could see what you were talking about, Melissa broke down and started crying and said ‘Kay you know if I would have saw this, I would have told her to meet me at the hospital’’”

Anderson says the children have eczema, and Miles believes the markings come from itching and lack of medical attention.

“The children stay sick; the only time they get nursed back to health is when they’re over here with Melissa” said Anderson.

The dogs have been taken by police to get molds of their teeth. Anderson says police are checking if their dental patterns match up with the markings on the children.

“To clear me I have to clear my dogs” said Anderson.

According to court documents Anderson has a lengthy criminal record.

In 2008 Anderson plead guilty to possession of crack cocaine with intent to deliver; in that same case she was charged with three counts of neglect of a dependent person which were dismissed by the court.

Attempts to reach the children’s mother went unanswered.

(WHOTV - Jan 6, 2017)

Earlier:

• Iowa: Day care provider Melissa Anderson, 33, faces child endangerment charges after two children in her care were attacked by pit bulls