Moments before her trial was set to begin, a Marysville woman admitted to actions that led to the death of a 2-month-old baby in her care.
On Monday, Hayley Breann Rausch, 24, of 20820 Wolford Maskill Road, pleaded guilty to one count of endangering children. Her trial had been set to begin Monday and potential jury members had already been seated in the courtroom
On Jan. 24, 2017, Rausch was babysitting eight-week-old Taylor Weber. At about 11:30 a.m., she went to check on Weber and realized the baby wasn’t breathing. Rausch called 911 and performed CPR.
Weber was taken by ambulance to Memorial Hospital where she was pronounced dead.
In exchange for the guilty plea, prosecutors dropped a reckless homicide charge.
Union County Prosecutor Dave Phillips said both charges are third degree felonies and while she could have been convicted of both charges, she could be sentenced on only one. He explained that while dropping the charge has no practical bearing on the sentencing, it helps the family avoid a trial.
“I think anytime you have a situation like this, it is difficult to listen to and go through again during trial,” Phillips said. “Marcy’s Law allows the family to sit through the trial and hear all the evidence and that’s a difficult thing to go through again at trial.”
Phillips said Rausch was alone at her home with Weber and seven other children, all 3 years old or younger, with five of the children under 1 year old.
Rausch told investigators at some point she laid the child in a rocking bassinet at times and in a pack-and-play when the baby died.
“Her account of what happened, does not match what the results of the autopsy indicate,” Union County Coroner Dr. David Applegate said following the baby’s death.
The prosecutor explained that because there were no eyewitnesses, much of the evidence would be presented by Applegate and the former Franklin County Deputy Coroner who performed the autopsy.
Officials explained that medical evidence shows the baby was upside down and could not breathe.
Phillips said that based on the evidence, the baby was hanging upside down, “for quite some time.”
“Anytime you have to listen to the facts, the medical facts of how a child died, how your child died, it is going to be disturbing to the parents,” Phillips said.
He said that trauma for the family helped push the decision to offer a plea agreement.
The prosecutor said there was no indication Rausch intended to kill the baby, but she was unlicensed and knew she was taking a risk by attempting to care for so many children.
“It just wasn’t possible for her to maintain an appropriate level of care for that many children,” Phillips said. “That’s why, with a licensed day care, there is limits on the number and ages of the children they can care for.”
The prosecutor said when a parent leaves their child with a babysitter or at day care, there is an expectation the child will be cared for.
Judge Mark O’Connor, who was appointed to the case, ordered a presentence investigation and set a sentencing hearing for April 24. Phillips said the state and defendant did not reach an agreed sentencing recommendation and it will be argued at the hearing.
“We are going to be arguing for prison,” Phillips said.
Rausch could face as many as five years in prison and a fine of $10,000.