Day care owner charged with attempted murder for hanging child from noose

MINNEAPOLIS (KMSP) - A Minneapolis in-home day care owner has been charged with attempted murder for hanging a child in her care from a noose in the basement of her home.

On Friday morning, a man was dropping off his child at day care when he noticed the day care provider, Natalia Karia, 42, was not acting right. Karia reportedly told him she “couldn’t take it anymore” and asked him to look at what she did, the charges say.

The man said he heard a child crying in the basement and ran downstairs, where he found a 16-month-old child hanging in the air from a noose attached to the ceiling. He pulled the baby down and ran from the house.

Karia fled the scene in her minivan. She rear-ended a car at intersection of West 28th Street and Grand Avenue, shoving it into the car ahead. As she was driving away, she also struck one drivers who gotten out of his vehicle and dragged him with her car for over 10 blocks.

Karia drove through several more intersections without stopping, hitting a bicyclist who was crossing the street on a green light. Several people who had witnessed her hit the bicyclist attempted to physically stop her, but she continued driving.

Karia eventually stopped at Park Avenue and 18th Street, where she attempted to jump off the bridge and onto Interstate 94. Several people stopped her and held her at the scene until police arrived.

She is currently being held at Hennepin County Medical Center.

The pedestrian suffered a broken ankle, broken ribs and multiple abrasions. The bicyclist suffered a broken leg, requiring the insertion of a permanent rod. The 16-month-old suffered severe ligature marks around his neck and face.

The victim’s mom said she had started bringing her child to the day care within the past three weeks. 

In addition to second degree attempted murder, Karia is also charged with third degree assault for a victim under four years old and two counts of criminal vehicular homicide.