Aurora baby sitter pleads not guilty
The Aurora woman who was baby-sitting for a 2-year-old who drowned last summer has pleaded not guilty to one count each of child endangerment and operating a child care facility without a license, authorities said Tuesday.
Tracy Kennedy, 37, of the 2700 block of Squaw Valley Trail, faces the charges after the Aug. 2 drowning of 2-year-old Abigail Holland of Aurora, who wandered into an aboveground pool in Kennedy’s backyard and died while under the woman’s care.
Kennedy pleaded not guilty to both charges Thursday in Will County court, state’s attorney’s spokesman Chuck Pelkie said.
Endangering the life or health of a child is an enhanced felony punishable by between two and 10 years in prison, while operating a child care facility without a license is a misdemeanor with a penalty of up to a year in jail and up to $2,500 in fines.
If convicted of both charges, Kennedy could be sentenced to a maximum of 11 years in prison and up to $2,500 in fines.
Records from the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services show Kennedy had been warned about pool safety and told she needed to stop offering day care in her home because she did not have a license to provide such care.