Wausau day care provider charged with child abuse

WAUSAU (WAOW) — A brain bleed, cuts and bad bruising are what doctors said a toddler suffered while at Merisa Sell’s Stepping Stone Day care in Wausau.

Merisa Sell’s LinkedIn and online sitter profiles describe almost two decades of child care experience, but detectives tell News 9 that is a lie.

Sell was unlicensed and not certified.

Wausau police reports from August state that a 16-month-old child fell off her high chair while eating lunch at Sell’s daycare.

The police reports said the girl was not buckled into her high chair and fell to the floor when Sell had turned her back.

The reports state that Sell then noticed the child was having trouble breathing and called 911.

Police said she told ambulance crews the child landed on the wood floor and hit her bottom.

Several hours later, the toddler’s mother took her to the hospital where doctors found bleeding outside her brain.

When News 9 first learned of the investigation, we went to Sell for answers.

“Get off the property before I call the cops,” Sell yelled.

It was around the same time where Sell took to a Wausau Facebook page to give away all her day care supplies.

News 9 obtained police reports that said Sell’s version of what happened is inconsistent with the injuries doctors found of the child.

Court documents filed on Wednesday state that the doctor in charge of examining the child said “the subdural hemorrhage is a concern for inflicted trauma.”

A separate charge was also filed against Sell from a 2015 incident.

Investigators said, in that case, a four-month-old baby also suffered a brain bleed under Sell’s care.

Sell is charged with physical abuse of a child in that case as well.

The District Attorney’s office tells News 9 that, as of Wednesday, Sell has a warrant out for her arrest and she has until Thursday to turn herself in.

If convicted for the two charges of physical abuse of a child, Sell could face up to 80 years in prison.