By Josh Rabe
Staff Writer
TULSA — A day care operator already had a warrant out for her arrest Thursday when a child placed in her care went into cardiac arrest and later died at a Tulsa hospital, according to police.

Vicki Leigh Chiles, 42, was arrested Thursday, accused of taping a 2-year-old boy's mouth closed and binding his hands while she left him unattended, officer Jason Willingham said. She later returned to find him unconscious and called paramedics.

Joshua Minton of Sperry was taken to St. John Medical Center about 3 p.m. Thursday and was later flown to St. Francis Hospital, where he was pronounced dead about 10:30 p.m., Willingham said.

Chiles' day care already was under a DHS investigation stemming from a separate incident in April, in which Chiles is suspected of beating a different child with a fly swatter.

She was charged Wednesday in that case with felony abuse of a minor child and a judge issued a warrant for her arrest. Willingham said police were not aware the warrant had been issued.

"Unfortunately it was just a day too late,” Willingham said. "It wasn't like we were waiting to arrest her, we just didn't know the warrant had been issued.”

Thursday, Chiles told police she bound Joshua Minton's hands and mouth because he was misbehaving, Willingham said. When police arrived, Chiles was alone in her home with eight children.

Chiles signed a written agreement Thursday to close the day care center she ran from her home and there are no longer any children in the home, said Mary Leaver, spokeswoman for the Department of Human Services.

DHS workers planned a surprise inspection of the day care Thursday and arrived at Chiles' front door just as she was returning to the room where she left Joshua bound, Willingham said. The DHS workers tried to help revive the boy before paramedics arrived.

Willingham said DHS has been investigating the day care since the initial abuse report last month. Leaver, the DHS spokeswoman, said she couldn't comment specifically on the results of the investigation.

__________________

I just saw this on the 12:00 news. Terrible. I don't see why they don't stop people in advance. I will never use a daycare ran from someone's home with only one staff member.

__________________

I too would NEVER put my child in a daycare that was run out of someone's home. Especially with only 1 person. I refused to even put my DD in daycare until she was old enough to talk. People kept telling me I was being too over protective. I don't care!

__________________

That is absolutey HORRIBLE they should do the same thing to that thing (sorry I cna't call her a woman). The daycare should have been closed after the first incident I think a daycare should be closed when they are investagating. I used to run a daycare out of my home and I was a loving caregiver and I loved the children that I watched I watched a total of 4 kids but not all at the same time. But I will never run a daycare again I was accused of abuse of one of the babies and I was investigated and was cleared the mother accused me but they think she was the one turns out the husband wasn't even the babies father and so on. But my point of telling that is when I was questioned I asked the social worker if she wanted the name of the parents of the other girl I watched and they said no I was shocked because if I had my child in daycare I would want to know if my dcp was accused of somehting even if it wasn't true. So I called the parents myself and let them know and they said that they had no problem with my still taking care of their child because they knew I wouldn't hurt anyone. So I also blame the system for not protecting that child.

I am just so thankful that I am able to be a SAHM and know that my kids are safe. That is so horrible that working moms not only have to worry about that to when they are just trying to do what is best for their family. My prayers go out to the family of the 2 year old little boy.

Sorry for the long post I am just very vocal when it comes to this.

__________________

Things like this make me ill, we had one here in Columbia, SC where they have now determined this lady has killed three children in the last ten years. She is in jail awaiting trail. Scarey and sad! Makes my blood boil.

__________________

Lisa - 3 kids in 10 years that is just so sad.

__________________

Yes, and it is sad. The first two were orginally ruled sudden crib death, but they were looked into and found both had trama to their heads. She literally dropped the crying babies on their heads. Made me sick, I wish they would pull me for that jury, I know what I want to happen to her. I wonder if they would call is cruel punishment if she was dropped off the courthouse roof on her head?

I will try to post the articles when her trial starts.

__________________

Lisa I wouldn't call that cruel punshiment at all I would call that justice.

__________________

I have known several women who have been in home day care providers and they would never do anything like that. They were wonderful, loving people who I would trust with my own child any day. I think this is a rare case. I agree, that she should have been shut down after the first incident, too.