Crystal Rose Searle has pleaded guilty to one count of child endangerment resulting in substantial harm after a two-month-old infant suffered a brain injury while under her care in Donnelly, Minnesota. The incident occurred on March 14, 2022, when Searle noticed the infant needed emergency medical attention but waited 45 minutes for the child’s mother to arrive instead of calling 911. The mother took the child directly to the emergency room, where doctors discovered increased cranial pressure and a subdural hematoma that required brain surgery. The infant survived but spent several weeks in intensive care.
The case was prosecuted by Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison’s office following a referral from former Stevens County Attorney Aaron Jordan. Under Minnesota Statutes section 8.01, the Attorney General may appear in court for criminal cases upon request from county attorneys. Typically, the Minnesota Attorney General’s Office handles civil matters and does not have prosecuting authority over most criminal acts unless referred under this statute or related to Medicaid fraud.
Attorney General Ellison commented on the case: “What happened in this case is every parent’s worst nightmare. When you leave your child with a caretaker, that caretaker has a responsibility to get that child emergency medical care when needed. Searle failed to do so, and yesterday, she faced justice for that. I am committed to doing everything in my power to protecting young people throughout Minnesota.”
Ellison also expressed gratitude toward the Stevens County Sherriff’s Office for their role in investigating and assisting with the prosecution.