A daycare worker in Wisconsin was arrested and accused for reportedly breaking the arm of a 3-month-old baby, according to officials.
Ashley Karschnick, 32, has been charged with one felony count of child abuse – deliberately causing harm in connection with the incident at Lily Pad Day Care in Fond du Lac, according to a criminal complaint obtained by WBAY, WLUK Fox 11, and NBC affiliate WGBA-TV.
According to a statement from the Fond du Lac Police Department, on Oct. 13, officers responded to Children’s Hospital in Milwaukee on a report of a 3-month-old baby with a broken arm. Police say the injuries was discovered after the child was picked up early from daycare.
“Following a thorough investigation, which included multiple interviews and an extensive review of surveillance footage, FDLPD Detectives arrested Ashley Karschnick (32), a caretaker at Lily Pad Day Care, on October 20, 2025, for her suspected involvement in causing the injury,” according to a police report.
According to the criminal complaint acquired by WBAY, footage from the daycare allegedly shows Karschnick scooping up a baby and slamming it into a crib. According to the complaint, police said Karschnick appeared “more and more frustrated” throughout the day.
“It did not appear that Ashley slammed Victim 1 down as hard as she could, but it was with enough force where you can see the side of the crib rock side to side and you can hear [a] thump from the impact on the mattress,” according to the lawsuit, as reported by WLUK Fox 11.
According to the complaint published by WBAY, Karschnick is seen minutes later swaddling the baby and removing her from the crib, but the infant continues to cry and scream, and her arm appears lifeless.
According to a medical assessment, the baby’s “humerus fracture is consistent with inflicted trauma and child physical abuse.”
Karschnick, who was arrested on October 20, reportedly disputed the charges while speaking with police.
Daniel Kaminsky, her defense attorney, tells PEOPLE that the video “shows Ashley caring, soothing, and worried about this youngster. At no point does it demonstrate her conduct to be unlawful or aggressive,” saying that the reporting officer’s depiction of the surveillance tape is “completely inaccurate.”
“She attempts to comfort the child gently in her arms, feed the child, and change the child’s diaper — all the things any parent knows one attempts when a child is crying and the reason is not apparent,” according to the attorney.
“After the child took a nap and appeared still upset and sensitive to touch on her arm, it is Ashley that insisted the parents be called so that the child could be checked by a doctor,” according to Kaminsky. “These are not the actions of a person who believes they had themselves harmed the child.”
According to online court records, Karschnick posted a $2,500 bond on Oct. 21, and her next court appearance is scheduled on October 28. She has also been instructed not to contact youngsters under the age of 12, however she is permitted to contact her own children. It is unknown whether Karschnick has entered a plea.
“The safety and well-being of our community’s children will always be our number one priority,” Lieutenant Nick Hahn stated in the police statement. “We understand how deeply troubling cases like this are, and we remain committed to thorough investigations, transparency, and accountability.”
Anyone with information about this event should call Fond du Lac Police Detective Chris Deering at (920) 322-3723, [email protected], or the Crime Alert line at (920) 322-3740. Callers may request to remain anonymous.
