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In the wake of a Florida grand jury’s decision not to indict a daycare owner in an infant’s death, the family of 2-month-old Jersi McKnight seeks justice for their daughter.
Jersi’s mother told a local reporter that she dropped her off at the in-home facility in Perry, Florida, on the morning of Aug. 9 after it was highly recommended by several people she knew.
Later in the day, an anxious parent called Robinson around 3:30 p.m., explaining that something tragic had occurred at Hugger Family Daycare involving one of the children.
McKnight rushed to Hugger. Upon arrival, she was informed that her daughter had was left unattended on a changing table, rolled off, and was found floating unresponsive in a mop bucket full of water.
Jersi was just 2-months.
Jonathan McKnight, the infant’s father, said, “It’s neglect all day.”
Her aunt, Katrina Cook, also weighed in. “I’m still in shock — hoping I heard it wrong. Maybe I just heard it wrong.”
A Taylor County, Florida grand jury voted 10-8 not to press charges in infant’s death.
In spite of Robinson and her family’s personal recommendations to improve the daycare center, the State of Florida has twice found Hugger Family Daycare to be non-compliant.
A fine was issued to the facility just five weeks before McKnight’s death for housing seven children under the age of three, which was more than allowed by the state.
The family is consulting with an attorney to begin the process of filing a civil suit as local authorities consider new evidence, leaving open the possibility of charging staff and owners of Hugger in the future.