After an investigation into a toddler's death uncovered another victim, authorities believe the babysitter charged with murder might have harmed more kids in her care, police said.
Heather Greenman, 37, of Beaumont, California, was initially arrested June 29 on charges of child abuse and child abuse resulting in death, the Beaumont Police Department (BPD) said in an online statement. On Monday, prosecutors also charged the babysitter with first-degree murder after the Riverside County District Attorney's Office reviewed the case. Greenman was booked into the Larry D. Smith Correctional Facility where she is being held on $1 million bond, according to jail records.
BPD said the investigation of Greenman is ongoing. It's unclear how the deceased toddler's family found Greenman or how many times they hired her to babysit.
Newsweek has reached out via email to BPD and the Riverside County Sheriff's Office for comment.
The Greenman probe began April 26 after the Riverside County Coroner's Office notified the BPD of the death of a 15-month-old child, who had suffered a head injury while in a babysitter's custody. The caregiver, identified as Greenman, told police that the child sustained the fatal injuries after taking a fall. The toddler was in the care of Greenman at the babysitter's home on Barolo Way in Beaumont, about 75 miles east of Los Angeles.
During the 911 call, Greenman told dispatchers that a child she was caring for had "fallen down while running" and hit their head. The toddler was transported to an area hospital for swelling of the head and bleeding on the brain, but later succumbed to the wounds at the hospital, BPD said.
Through an "extensive investigation" into the toddler's death conducted by the BPD's Crime Suppression Unit, police said they found a second victim.
"Officers were able to locate a second victim, a 2-year old child, who had suffered from several serious injuries while in Greenman's care but were not previously reported," the department said. That child was also taken care of at the family's home in the city of Beaumont but was not hospitalized at the time."
BPD is urging any parents who believe their child might have been a victim to contact the department.
Anyone with information regarding Greenman or the case is being asked to call the department at (951) 769-8500 or place an anonymous tip via email at crimetips@beaumontpd.org.
