WINDHAM, Maine — A Windham woman who ran a child care business for nearly 20 years has been indicted by a Cumberland County grand jury on charges she injured a child in her care.
Police say Eleanor Amo, 55, allegedly grabbed a 4-year-old boy around the neck, leaving bruises and other marks. In an indictment made public last week, the grand jury cited Amo on the felony charge of assault on a child younger than 6 years old.
An indictment is not a determination of guilt. It indicates the grand jury found enough evidence to warrant further legal action.
Arno surrendered her day care license shortly after the charges were filed in August, according to Windham police Lt. David DeGruchy.
The mother of the child notified police on Aug. 24 that her son suffered neck injuries at Amo’s day care center, DeGruchy said Monday.
“Apparently, from what we can determine, there was some type of disturbance where she had to intervene,” DeGruchy said. “Her action, allegedly, was completed up to the point where she grabbed him around the neck and caused him minor injury. Obviously, it reached the level of what prosecutors felt was a crime.”
The child was examined by a physician but was never admitted to a hospital, he said.
DeGruchy said police received no other complaints of assault by Arno, and she had no history of similar complaints with the department.
Arno was first licensed to operate a child care business in April 1995 and was licensed to care for up to 12 children, according to Department of Health and Human Services spokesman John A. Martins.
If convicted, Arno faces a maximum sentence of five years in jail for the Class C felony.