An Ohio babysitter currently free on bail pleaded not guilty in a Butler County courtroom on Monday in connection to charges related to the death of a toddler girl.
FOX19 reports that Lindsay Partin, 36, is facing numerous felony charges after 3-year-old Hannah Wesche died in her care on March 8, including murder, manslaughter, and four counts of child endangerment. Partin pleaded not guilty to all charges on Monday morning during her first court hearing after bailing out of jail last month on a $750,000 cash bond.
“Ms. Partin, let me tell you, if your foolish enough to miss one meeting with your pre-trial officer, if you’re foolish enough to miss one court hearing… we will find you,” Butler County Judge Greg Stephens told the suspect after granting her a bond amount. “You will not get that bond a second time and you will stay over in that jail until this case is resolved.”
As CrimeOnline previously reported, Partin allegedly struck 3-year-old Hannah Wesche so brutally that the little girl fell backwards and hit “her head on the concrete garage floor,” according to a police statement. The incident occurred at Partin’s house in Butler County, Ohio.
ORIGINAL Story: Toddler’s family says she is brain dead after babysitter shakes the life out of her: Police
First responders arrived to the home and noted bruises on the child’s head and face, the Sheriff’s Office said in a statement. They rushed Hannah to the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, where she fought for her young life for almost two weeks.
“She was a big part of our family. She meant everything to everybody,” Hannah’s father, Jason Wesche, said in a statement to WCPO. “This is just an extremely difficult time. We just hope to god she is in heaven with him and ask for continued prayers.”
One the day of the incident, Wesche took Hannah over to Partin’s house and dropped her off before he went to work. He said he had dropped Hannah off regularly at Partin’s house within the past several months without incident, according to The Washington Post.
On March 8, however, the father said Partin called him within minutes of him dropping Hannah off, claiming that the child fell unconscious and she couldn’t figure out why. Jason Wesche said he immediately turned his vehicle around and rushed back to Partin’s home.
“I thought she was dying. When I picked her up, she was gasping for breath. And every time I’d yell her name, she’d take a deep breath,” Wesche told The Washington Post.
For the next 13 minutes, Wesche spoke frantically with a 911 operator, pleading for help for his child.
Hannah died on On Sunday morning at around 12:15 a.m.
“I fell head over [heels] for her and she stole my heart,” the grieving father later wrote on a GoFundMe page for his daughter. “Raising Hannah and watching her blossom into a bubbly fun loving little girl has been more than I could ever ask for. I am beyond devastated that I am having to say goodbye to my Angel. This is every parents worst nightmare and I will fight for my baby and justice will be served.”
Partin is scheduled for her next court appearance on May 7. Check back with CrimeOnline as additional details become available.
WARNING: Audio may be disturbing to some listeners.
[Feature Photo: Hannah Wesche/Handout, Facebook]
