A 55-year-old Jamestown woman faces felony child abuse charges after a 6-month-old infant suffered a spiral arm fracture at her unlicensed daycare in April. The Jamestown Sun reports that Deborah Ellen Jespersen claimed a 3-year-old stepped on the baby during “tummy time,” but doctors said the injury pattern indicated abuse, not an accident. Court documents reveal Jespersen has been investigated five times since 2014 for incidents involving injured infants and toddlers in her care, though she was never previously charged. Her licensed daycare was revoked in 2018 after a 3-year-old boy reported being struck under the chin. In each case, Jespersen claimed injuries happened “so fast” she couldn’t remember details, and incidents allegedly occurred when other children were napping with no witnesses. The current case began when parents took their injured infant to Jamestown Regional Medical Center, where doctors immediately suspected abuse. A 3-year-old witness contradicted Jespersen’s account, saying the baby was “dropped,” not stepped on. Jespersen was released on personal recognizance and faces up to 10 years in prison and $20,000 in fines. Her preliminary hearing is scheduled for June 11.
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