Plymouth day care aide had .356 BAC while working with toddlers, bit police officer in the leg, charges say

A northern Twin Cities metro day care worker is accused of having a dangerously high blood alcohol level while working with young children.

Charges say, on Feb. 23, officers went to the Plymouth day care where the 21-year-old woman works after someone called 911, indicating one of the teachers may have been having a panic attack. Upon arrival, officers found the 21-year-old woman and concluded she was under the influence of alcohol.

A preliminary breath test showed the woman had a blood alcohol concentration of .356, according to charges. The Cleveland Clinic says someone with a BAC over .30 is likely to have alcohol poisoning, a potentially life-threatening condition.

Officers attempted to detain the woman, but charges say she "physically resisted by pulling away and dropping herself to the floor," and eventually bit one of the officers in the leg. The woman, once successfully detained, was transported to the hospital due to her level of intoxication.

The complaint says the woman admitted to an officer over the phone that she went home and consumed alcohol during her lunch break.

The assistant director of the day care told officers she noticed the woman slurring her words and stumbling. Charges say surveillance video from the day care shows the woman picking up a child and falling backward into the wall, also slamming the child's head into the wall. While still holding the child, the video allegedly shows the woman attempting to scoot on the ground, losing balance and falling on top of the child.

The woman worked as an aide alongside a teacher in the 12- to 16-month-old classroom and was responsible for general care of the children, such as feeding, changing diapers and putting them down for sleep, according to the complaint.

She is now being charged with child endangerment and obstructing the legal process. Her first court appearance is scheduled for April 16.