Daycare Providers Charged with 5 Counts of Child Endangerment

Police in Prince William County have arrested a Manassas woman, charging her with five counts of child endangerment after an infant was found dead yesterday in a Bristow home that also served as a daycare.

Police said 50-year-old Yolanda Gracelia Larin, of 8602 Weems Road in Manassas, and 42-year-old Mirna Mendez, 42, of Woodbridge, were both charged with five counts of child endangerment following an investigation into the death of  a three-month-old girl at a home in the 13200 block of Sapphire Ridge Place in Bristow. Police said the the five counts were placed for children less than 12 months old, who were also present at the daycare when detectives arrived to investigate the death. 

Both are Larin and Mendez are being held without bond, pending a May 16 court date. Prince William County Police Officer Jonathan Perok said there are two separate investigations being conducted at this time: the child death investigation and the child endangerment investigation, relating to the daycare operation itself. Police said Larin and Mendez have been charged in reference to the daycare operation only at this time.

An investigation into the daycare operation has revealed only Larin and Mendez  were present during yesterday’s child death investigation. There were a total of 23 children, ages newborn to 4 years old,  at the residence. 

Five of the children, not including the deceased, were less than 12 months old, police said.

According to police, Child Protective Services and Code Enforcement assisted in this investigation and the daycare has since been shutdown.

On Thursday, March 8, police were called to the residence around 12:45 p.m. for the report of an unconscious 3-month old girl, now identified as Teagan Sample.  She was transported to an area hospital where she was pronounced dead, police said. 

A preliminary investigation has not revealed any signs of foul play, but an unlicensed daycare appeared to have been operating out of the residence. No other injuries or incidents to additional children were reported.

The investigation is still ongoing and an police said an autopsy is expected Friday morning, but it is likely the official cause of death will not be known immediately. There were no signs of obvious trauma, polices said.