Day-care owner to pay $10,000 for boy left in van

MISSOULA (AP) — A former Missoula day-care owner has reached a plea agreement that requires her to pay $10,000 for the counseling costs of a 3-year-old boy who was accidentally left in a van while other children attended a movie.

Melanie R. Hoke pleaded no contest Thursday to failing to report child abuse. In exchange, prosecutors dropped a criminal endangerment charge and District Judge John Larson gave her a six-month deferred sentence.

The boy’s grandmother testified that her grandson has been diagnosed with acute stress and post-traumatic stress disorder since the July 2012 incident.

“I can’t imagine the extreme heat inside that van he had to endure,” said the grandmother, Sheryl Manuzich. “A small child cannot understand why he was left behind, fearful and confused. The picture is horrifying.”

Employees of Tot Town had taken a group of children to a 10 a.m. showing of “Shark Tale.” By noon, the temperature outside had reached 80 degrees, and the state Health Department estimated the temperature inside the van was 110 degrees.

A day-care provider who didn’t attend the movie contacted Manuzich later in the day to express concern that he returned from the outing soaking wet.

Manuzich said she spoke to her grandson who told her that he was left in the van and “cried and cried for his grandmother, the teacher or anyone to let him out of the car,” court records said.

Hoke argued that she wasn’t working that day, but that she and her children met the day-care outing at the theater. She also maintained that the boy’s whereabouts were unknown.

The boy is not seen in surveillance video of the group walking from the van to the theater or inside the lobby.

Manuzich told the judge she didn’t want a trial because she didn’t want her grandson to be traumatized by testifying, but she did want Hoke to take responsibility.

Tot Town day care lost its state license in August 2012. Two other day-care workers were charged with child endangerment.

Jennifer Nogle reached a nine-month deferred prosecution agreement in City Court in December 2012 and the charge has since been dismissed, the city attorney’s office said Friday.

Michelle Asby’s trial in District Court trial is scheduled for January.