Twin Cities woman who ran unlicensed home day care admits her neglect killed toddler

A Twin Cities woman who operated an unlicensed home day care has admitted that her neglect led to the death of a child from asphyxiation.

Kristina Maria Elder, 50, of Bloomington agreed in Hennepin County District Court last week to plead guilty to second-degree manslaughter in connection with the death in November 2023 of 20-month-old Raiden Davis at Elder’s home in the 1500 block of W. 85th Street.

The Hennepin County Medical Examiner’s Office found that the excess food caused asphyxiation and prevented oxygen from getting to Raiden’s brain.

The plea agreement between prosecutors and Elder’s defense calls for a potential four-year term to be set aside in favor of a year in the county workhouse spread over her five years of probation. The deal also bans her from working with children.

Elder is scheduled to be sentenced on April 25, when Judge Carolina Lamas will decide whether to accept the plea agreement’s terms.

Known as “Ray Ray” or “Bubba,” Raiden “brought so much joy to everyone he met,” the boy’s online obituary read. “His smile lit up every room, and his little giggles could put a smile on your face. ... He was a goofy happy little boy that loved to run circles around the kitchen island and get into everything he could.”

According to the criminal complaint:

Officers responding to Elder’s 911 call on Nov. 28, 2023, arrived at the home to find the boy not breathing. Emergency medical personnel took the him to a hospital, where he died.

Elder told the officers that she gave Raiden lunch and was aware that he tended to “pack his food in his mouth,” the complaint read. After lunch, she placed Raiden on a mat as she tended to other things in the home.

At some point, she noticed Raiden’s lips were blue. She said she “performed a finger sweep and pulled out some of the food but felt she was pushing additional food down the [boy’s] throat, so she did not want to do any more,” the complaint continued.

Raiden’s eyes soon opened, and his lips regained their natural color. She put the boy back on the mat without calling 911 or the boy’s parents.

Elder said that when she went to check on Raiden again, his lips were blue again and he appeared lifeless. It was only then that she called 911.