Blaine day care worker who abused children under her care to plead guilty

A Coon Rapids woman accused of abusing children at a Blaine day care center is planning to plead guilty, according to court documents filed on Wednesday.

Elizabeth Augusta Wiemerslage, 23, will plead guilty to one count each of aiding and abetting malicious punishment of a child under 4 years old and aiding and abetting third-degree assault in exchange for 90 days in jail and the dismissal of our fother charges.

Under the plea agreement, Wiemerslage also has to write a letter of apology and undergo a psychological evaluation, according to court records.

In July of 2024, the Blaine Police Department opened an investigation into Small World Learning Center after Minneapolis Children’s Hospital flagged suspicious bruising on the thighs of a 5-month-old infant.

Day care providers interviewed by Blaine police investigators at first said the bruising could have been caused by a swing. But a review of surveillance video revealed aggressive behavior by two day care employees — Wiemerslage and 24-year-old Chloe Johnson of Andover.

RELATED: Blaine police say day care workers were ‘aggressively abusing children’

The footage showed Wiemerslage and Johnson roughly handling the injured infant and two others. According to police, Johnson is seen grabbing the first child by her upper thighs, hips and groin and “violently flips” her on her back and face while Wiemerslage is present.

Johnson is seen handling a second child, placing a cloth against their mouth and nose. She then held the child by the neck, pulled them by the arm and shoved a bottle in and out of their mouth, police said. Wiemerslage is also shown on video slamming the second child onto a pillow. Wiemerslage is later seen thrusting a third child onto a changing table.

The child whose injuries prompted the investigation suffered bruising in nine different areas, and the injuries were found to be consistent with gripping or squeezing, a criminal complaint states.

The two other children underwent medical examinations, and one was found to have an old leg fracture that may have occurred two weeks earlier.

Wiemerslage is set to be sentenced on May 16. Johnson will be in court on May 13 for a contested omnibus hearing.