Theresa S. Bumblis

WARSAW — A baby sitter trusted to watch the children of another person has had a neglect of a dependent charge filed in Kosciusko Superior Court 3.

Theresa S. Bumblis, 26, 2009 E. Barrington Place, Warsaw, was issued a summons to appear in court at 1 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 15, on the level 6 felony.

Charges and an affidavit of probable cause were filed with the court Friday, Oct. 20, by a detective with the Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Department.

According to Chris McKeand, public information officer with the Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Department, this is not uncommon due to the nature of the case. The courts will now decide how to move forward.

According to the probable cause a county sheriff’s deputy responded to a call Aug. 8 regarding children being injured while at the babysitter’s. The mother of the victims told police she took her two children, ages 3 and 16 months old, to the home of Bumblis, the baby sitter. The mother stated around noon, she received a call from Bumblis reporting her 3-year-old child had been bitten by another child in her care. The mother had another individual pick up one the 3-year-old to check on the injury. Around 5 p.m. The mother picked up the 16-month-old, but did not notice any injuries.

Some of the bite marks on the back of a 16-month-old.

Later when she went to change the diaper of the 16-month-old, the mother found approximately 31 bite marks all over the body. The investigating officer observed a large number of bite marks that were red and swollen on the child’s back, stomach, chest and arms. The officer also observed red and swollen bite marks on the buttocks and stomach of the 3-year-old child.

The mother of the two children told police she went back and spoke with Bumblis concerning the bite marks. Bumblis told the mother she was baby-sitting a child who had a biting problem, but did not know of bite marks on the 16-month-old.

When police spoke with Bumblis she did state she knew one of the children she was baby-sitting had been biting other children and that is why the child was being brought to her. She alleges other sitters had requested the child not return to their care because of the issue.

Bumblis told around lunchtime that day, the 3-year-old had a bit mark on him and she contacted the mother, including sending a photograph of the bite mark. She also stated she had put all the children down for a nap in the master bedroom, on the ground floor, and about 15 minutes later she heard the 16-month-old child crying. She got her up, gave her a snack and put her back to bed. Around 5 p.m. when the mother picked her up, she did not know of any bite marks.

Bumblis also reported she did not hear the young child crying, even though she had more than 30 bite marks all over her body.