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Nov 9, 2009 10:21 pm US/Central
Day Care Accused Of Making Straitjackets For Kids
GOLDEN VALLEY (WCCO) ―
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Arvilla Meinhardt is accused of putting toddlers in pajamas with the arms pinned back like a straitjacket, then pinning the pajamas to a mattress during nap time.
Hennepin County Sheriff's Office
Police in a Twin Cities suburb say they had to call parents to come pick up about a half dozen children at a home day care after a startling discovery.
Arvilla Meinhardt is accused of wrapping toddlers in pajamas and pinning those pajamas to mattresses during nap time.
"She has run a day care for a long, long time," said Greg Prest, Meinhardt's neighbor.
Monday night, Meinhadrt's at-home day care on Duluth Lane in Golden Valley has been shut down and Meinhadrt herself has been arrested.
She is accused of taking children's pajamas and pinning the arms behind their back, like a straitjacket, and using them to put children down for a nap.
"It's a surprise, but it's allegations and we'll just have to let the system work its magic and yield a result," said Prest.
According to the criminal complaint, Hennepin County Child Protection received a complaint from one of Meinhardt's former clients. When detectives arrived to investigate, they noticed a large bowl on top of the dresser that contained safety pins.
They also noticed a pair of pajamas on the floor with pin holes on the sides.
A search of the home turned up several more pairs of pajamas with safety pins still in them. They were found shoved under the bed.
The complaint says Meihnardt admitted using the safety pins as a form of discipline to control the children. She even demonstrated how she created a type of straitjacket with the pajamas.
WCCO-TV went to Meinhardt's home day care to see if she wanted to talk. No one answered the door.
For now, her license has been pulled and she faces gross misdemeanor charges of malicious punishment of a child and false imprisonment.
According to the complaint, Meinhardt admitted to pinning children who were 2 and 3 years old under her care for the past eight years. She said the parents of the children were never informed of this practice.
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