Daycare worker charged with murder after she 'threw 3-year-old to the ground with such force she killed her - all because the little girl didn't want to take her coat off'

Orange City toddler, Autumn Elgersma, 3, died on Thursday from severe brain trauma and a fractured skull



Rochelle Sapp, 33, who runs the in-home daycare centre at her home, admitted to police she threw the girl to the ground after she refused to remove her coat

She first told the mother that Autumn had fallen down the stairs

Sapp has been charged in the girl's death

Tragic: Autumn Elgersma, 3, died from head injuries after being 'thrown to the floor' by a woman running a daycare centre

A childminder has been charged with murdering a three-year-old because the little girl 'refused to take her coat off'.

Rochelle Lynn Sapp, 33, is accused of throwing Autumn Elgersma down with such force it fractured her skull.

The Orange City youngster, died in November from her head injuries after two days in hospital.

But police have now charged Sapp with first-degree murder and child endangerment resulting in death.

The tragedy unfolded at 10th Street SE, in eastern Orange City, the home of Sapp, where she ran a daycare centre, according to police.

Sapp had initially claimed Autumn had fallen down some stairs but later admitted she had attacked the youngster, a senior police officer has said.

Autumn's parents Phillip and Jennifer paid an emotional tribute to their beloved daughter at the time of her death.

‘Autumn was a joy in our lives and we are blessed to have called her ours.

'We take comfort in the fact that she is now with her Savior, Jesus Christ.’

Court documents say Sapp called the girl’s mother shortly after 9am and told her Autumn had fallen down the stairs.

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Admitted: Rochelle Lynn Sapp, 33, who runs a daycare centre in Orange City, Iowa, told police she got angry when Autumn refused to remove her coat

Devastated: Autumn's parents, Phillip and Jennifer Elgersma, lost their little girl after dropping her off at a daycare centre

Deadly daycare: Autumn was injured in the home of Rochelle Sapp, 33, who runs a daycare centre at 706 10th Street SE, in eastern Orange City

Mrs Elgersma picked up her daughter immediately and brought her to the Orange City hospital where she was diagnosed with a head injury, according to KTIV.

The girl was airlifted to the Sanford Children's Hospital in Sioux Falls in North Dakota where doctors discovered the child suffered a fractured skull and brain trauma.

Sapp had initially been charged with Willful Injury and Child Endangerment Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury.

'Accident': Sapp told Autumn's mother, Jennifer Elgersma initially that the girl had fallen down the stairs

Huge loss: The little girl's parents said Autumn was 'a joy in our lives'

Sioux County Attorney Coleman McAllister said: 'In this case the initial charges were based on the medical evidence and opinion available to the state at that time.

'Upon Autumn's death, the circumstances changed.



'The medical examiner's office in Des Moines took time to make sure they did a thorough and complete examination and we like everybody else was waiting for them to render an opinion for us to evaluate so we could move forward with charges.'

Sapp was placed in Sioux County Jail while the investigation into the incident was investigated.

She is due to appear a judge and a bond was set at $250,000, according to Mr McAllister.