By Howard Koplowitz
An Ozone Park woman who operated a day care center out of her home was arrested after an infant boy under her supervision died after falling into a bucket of water Monday, police said.
Krystal Khan, 27, of 101-27 108th St., was charged with child endangerment in the death of 11-month-old James Farrior, police said.
Queens District Attorney Richard Brown said Khan took Nyquil early in the morning Monday and fell asleep in the living room.
Khan allegedly briefly woke up and did not see James in the living room and fell back to sleep, Brown said. She woke up again to find James, who would have turned a year old next month, in the kitchen with his upper body submerged in a bucket of water that Khan filled the night before, the DA said.
Khan was expected to be arraigned Tuesday night, according to Brown. She faces up to a year in prison if convicted of the charge, the DA said.
“When parents entrust their young children to a day care center, the operator has an obligation to provide a safe environment,” Brown said in a statement. “By allegedly failing to carry out her responsibilities, a young child’s life has been tragically and senselessly cut short.”
James fell into the bucket and drowned at around 10:51 a.m. Monday, police said. He was taken to Jamaica Hospital in serious condition when he died at 11:25 a.m., police said.
The medical examiner was to investigate how James died, police said.
The day care, at 101-27 108th St., operated out of a nondescript single-family home with green wood panels. In the front window were small letters made out of colored construction paper that read “Child care, all day every day.”
It was unclear whether the home was licensed or if it was required to have one because only four children, including Khan’s two kids, were being supervised in the home.
Khan has 12 years of experience in child care, according to her profile on the Web site skillwho.com. She said she has two children and provides baby-sitting services “all day, at night and weekends also.”
Khan, 28, described herself as a former teacher from Trinidad with eight years of experience in education.
Neighbors across the street from the center said they were unaware that a day care was operating from the home.
A parent picking up her daughters from nearby PS 96, who only wanted to be identified as Anita, noted it can sometimes be difficult to look after children.
“I don’t know if she has help, but it’s too much to handle a lot of kids,” she said.
Reach reporter Howard Koplowitz by e-mail at hkoplowitz@cnglocal.com or by phone at 718-229-0300, Ext. 173.
