Hemet woman convicted of involuntary manslaughter in infant’s daycare death lost license in 1999

Hemet woman convicted of involuntary manslaughter in infant’s daycare death lost license in 1999

by Brian Rokos

The unlicensed Hemet daycare operator who pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter this month in the death of a 7-month-old girl lost her license to provide that service in 1999, state records show, yet she continued to take in children.

Denise Renee Worman, 55, was sentenced Sept. 12 to 180 days in the Riverside County sheriff’s work-release program and five years’ probation. Worman was ordered never again to care for children other than her relatives.

On March 27, 2017, Kristin M. Watkins dropped off her daughter, Addison, and her 3-year-old brother, Nolan, at Worman’s home in the 1200 block of Stepstone Court. At some point, the children were left in a bean bag chair, according to a Hemet Fire Department report. When Worman returned 30 minutes later, she found Addison face-down in the chair and not breathing, with her brother on top of her, the report said. Addison was taken to a hospital, where she was pronounced dead.

A daycare license is required if someone is regularly watching children from more than one family, not including his or her own children. Investigators found that Worman’s situation fit the bill of an unlicensed daycare.

Watkins said she had left her children with Worman on a recommendation from one of Worman’s relatives.

Worman was last issued a license to care for children on Aug. 24, 1992, when she lived in a home on Erringer Road in Simi Valley, according to a copy of that license. She was allowed to watch a maximum of eight children, depending on their ages and how many were infants. But her license was revoked Dec. 10, 1999, because of a fight with her husband and a lack of cooperation with officials, according to a State Department of Social Services’ petition.

“On or about June 6, 1998, (Worman) repeatedly kicked, punched on the face, yelled at, and threw objects at Steve Worman, at times in the presence of children residing in the home, which resulted in law enforcement intervention and her being taken into custody,” the petition said.

In 1999, she repeatedly failed to keep scheduled meetings with Social Services to discuss her conduct, the petition said.

It is unclear whether Worman was arrested or charged. There is no record of Worman in Ventura County Superior Court records.

Worman was not fined for the Hemet death. Social Services has no authority to fine daycare providers who are unlicensed, spokesman Adam Weintraub said.

Watkins disclosed at the hearing in which Worman pleaded guilty that she had received $100,000 from Worman’s homeowner’s insurance company. Watkins, who now lives in Ohio, said on Friday, Sept. 20, that she does not plan to sue Worman.

All credit goes to Brian Rokos
Originally published on https://www.dailynews.com