A Colorado woman has finally been captured after spending several months on the run from police for her role in running an illegal daycare. Katelynne Nelson, 33, was a former employee at Play Mountain Place Daycare where authorities discovered 26 toddlers hidden behind a false wall in a basement. She was discovered with drugs in her possession at the time but went on the run before she could face trial. Now, she’s finally been apprehended.
- Nelson was initially arrested on February 4. She was facing several charges unrelated to her work at the daycare, including but not limited to attempting to influence a public official, possession of a controlled substance and paraphernalia, and criminal impersonation, according to KRDO-TV.
- She was already subject to an open warrant at that time. That warrant was for 26 counts of misdemeanor child abuse and drug possession stemming from her arrest at Play Mountain. Upon investigation, authorities discovered three additional warrants for alleged failures to appear in cases involving failure to report an accident, leaving the scene of an accident, speeding, and the obstruction of a police officer.
- Nelson is now being held in prison. Records from the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office show that she’s currently being held on $16,000 bond. Meanwhile, two of her colleagues at the daycare are already serving time behind bars for their role in the operation. Given that Nelson had so many open warrants, it’s likely she’ll be joining them soon.
- The owner of the daycare, Carla Faith, was sentenced to six years in prison. She was found guilty on 26 counts of misdemeanor child abuse, operating a child care facility without a license, and attempting to influence a public servant in August 2021. In November, another former employee, Christina Swauger, was given two and a half years for the same crimes. Nelson was due to be tried alongside Swauger in August but never turned up to court and instead went on the run. She’s due back in court in the coming weeks.
