Mpls. cops: Day care provider hanged 1-year-old; child survives

Updated Nov. 18, 2016 at 11 p.m. | Posted Nov. 17, 2016 at 11:31 a.m.

A south Minneapolis woman is in custody after intentionally hanging a 1-year-old in her day care and then later triggering havoc on city streets as she hit and injured people with her car and then apparently tried to kill herself.

All those hurt, including the child, are expected to live. Another parent bringing a child to the day care rescued the 16-month-old boy.

Police have identified the suspect as 42 year-old Nataliia Mykhaylivna Karia. She was taken to Hennepin County Medical Center for treatment and will be booked into Hennepin County Jail when she is released from the hospital.

No motive is known at this time, Minneapolis Assistant Police Chief Kris Arneson told reporters.

"It's horrific," Arneson said. "We never want children to be injured. It is a horrific scene for officers to encounter but also the victims in this case have injuries based on her actions."

The toddler, she added was at a hospital and "doing fine, I'm told."

Police got the first call at about 9:43 a.m. to respond to a home day care on the 2700 block of Humboldt Avenue South where they were told the woman who runs the day care had intentionally hung the boy then fled the scene in a gold minivan.

Shortly after that, a 911 call reported the minivan had struck and dragged a pedestrian at 28th Street and Grand Avenue, dragging him for several blocks. Arneson said the man has several broken bones but is expected to survive.

Another 911 call followed when the minivan hit a bicyclist at 28th Street and Park Avenue South.

By 10:06 a.m., the woman was threatening to jump from the Park Avenue Bridge onto Interstate 94. Citizens held her down until police arrived, Arneson said.

The day care is a licensed facility that had fewer than six children on site, she noted. Minneapolis police said all all the parents who had children at the day care were notified and police chaplains were on site to help.