SAVAGE, Minn. — Prosecutors in Minnesota have outlined disturbing details in a case involving the death of a nearly one-year-old boy and the injury of a younger infant at a Savage day care center, leading to multiple felony charges against a teenage employee.
Authorities say Theah Loudemia Russell, 18, of Savage, has been charged with second-degree murder, first-degree assault, and third-degree assault in connection with the death of Harvey Gene Muklebust and the harm caused to a five-month-old baby girl.
Harvey died on Sept. 22, just days before his first birthday.
According to court records, the incidents occurred at Rocking Horse Ranch Childcare, where Russell had been employed for approximately two to two-and-a-half months.
She remains in custody on $3.5 million bail ahead of a Feb. 4 hearing in Scott County District Court.
Police were first alerted at about 10:10 a.m. on Sept. 22 after receiving a high-priority medical call reporting that a baby was not breathing at the day care.
An officer arrived to find a staff member holding Harvey, who appeared pale with bluish coloring around his mouth and no detectable pulse. CPR was initiated until fire crews and paramedics arrived.
Harvey was transported to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead shortly after 11:30 a.m.
Autopsy results from the Hennepin County Medical Examiner’s Office were still pending as of Thursday afternoon.
During the investigation, officers learned of a prior medical emergency at the same facility on Sept.
19 involving a five-month-old girl who had briefly stopped breathing before regaining airflow.
She later returned to the day care on Sept. 22, where she began vomiting bloody mucus. Her family removed her from the center and had her hospitalized.
A physician at Masonic Children’s Hospital told police there were concerns of asphyxiation or airway obstruction, noting the infant had stopped breathing for up to 60 seconds.
Investigators identified a common link between both incidents: Russell.
According to the criminal complaint, she admitted during a January follow-up interview that she choked Harvey until he stopped breathing and acknowledged placing her fingers down both children’s throats during the incidents.
Russell was arrested on Jan. 13 following interviews conducted by local police and the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension.
Authorities noted inconsistencies in her earlier statements and unusual behavior during walkthroughs of the day care, including a lack of emotional response and minimal concern about the investigation.
Savage Police Chief Brady Juell said investigators believe Russell’s actions were driven by attention-seeking behavior, citing a documented history that included false emergency calls, fire-related incidents at a church camp, and erratic conduct toward children.
Following Harvey’s death, state authorities suspended the license of Rocking Horse Ranch Childcare.
Prior inspections by the Minnesota Department of Human Services had identified 11 violations, including sanitation and safety concerns, all of which were later corrected.
Police emphasized that there is no criminal investigation involving the day care facility or its owners.
At a news conference, Harvey’s grandmother Julie Muklebust remembered the infant as a source of joy for his family.
“From the moment Harvey was born, he filled our world with sunshine,” she said, describing his laughter, playful spirit, and loving nature.
As the case proceeds through the courts, the tragedy has prompted renewed scrutiny of child care safety and background oversight in Minnesota, while a family and community mourn the loss of a child whose life was cut tragically short.
