Further charges were being contemplated Monday against an allegedly drunk child day care operator who was arrested after an infant died at her Manteca facility, police said.
Roxanne Helus was arrested on charges of felony child endangerment after she was determined to be intoxicated at Cherished Years Daycare on Oct. 22 when officers responded to a call of a 4-month-old boy who was not breathing. Helus was booked into San Joaquin County Jail and later released after posting bail, Manteca police said.
Officers went to the licensed care facility at 1:25 p.m. in the 2300 block of Merlin Lane in Manteca after receiving a call of a child not breathing. When they arrived, they found an adult providing cardio-pulmonary resuscitation to the baby. Paramedics arrived and continued CPR, but despite their efforts, the infant, Christian Olvera, died two days at Oakland Children’s Hospital, according to police.
An autopsy was expected to determine the cause of death, but additional charges including causing death to a child under 8 years old, were expected to be added as detectives continue to investigate.
The three other children at the day care were checked and determined to be unharmed. There were at least four adults present at the time of the incident at the facility operated out of Helus’ home, police said.