Court Hearing Date Set For Daycare Worker Charged With Murder

Tuesday, May 29th 2007, 6:28 am

By: News On 6

A Tulsa home daycare worker was arraigned on a felony child abuse and murder charge Tuesday morning. Those charges stem from an incident in which Vicki Chiles allegedly hit a boy with a fly swatter last month, and most recently, the murder of 2-year-old Joshua Minton this month.

Vicki Chiles' preliminary hearing is set for July.

The Oklahoma Department of Human Services was on their way to shut down the home day care on May 17, when workers found Joshua. Tulsa Police say Chiles admitted that she taped the toddler's mouth shut. Joshua Minton lost consciousness and later died at a Tulsa hospital.

Chiles had been operating a childcare home since 2003.

The News On 6 spoke to Joshua's parents just last week. The Mintons say Chiles looked after their children for nearly a year. They also say they did their homework when they chose a daycare. The Mintons told the News On 6, they hope the rules will change. They want parents to be better informed about criminal accusations against childcare providers.

Related Stories:

5/17/2007 2-Year-Old Dies After Being Tied Up At Daycare, Says Police

5/18/2007 Selecting The Right Daycare For Your Children

5/18/2007 Daycare Worker Accused Of Killing Child Was Already Under Investigation

5/24/2007 - Parents Of Child Who Died In Daycare Speak