Babysitter Sentenced to 18 Months for Breaking Infant’s Legs

A Bemidji woman has been sentenced to 18 months in prison for breaking the legs of an infant while she was babysitting the girl.

Bridget Renae Stately, 42, told investigators she was high on methamphetamines at the time of the incident. According to Beltrami County Attorney David L. Hanson, Stately was caught on camera twisting the infant’s legs, causing them to break.

Stately pled guilty to the crimes of 3rd Degree Assault and Child Endangerment and was sentenced to 18 months in prison.

Hanson says that because of Stately’s lack of criminal history and the severity of the crimes as set by the Minnesota Sentencing Guidelines Commission, the presumptive sentence for both counts would have been stayed, meaning no prison time. However, due to the heinous nature of these crimes, the Beltrami County Attorney’s Office filed a motion for departure from the presumed sentence.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant Beltrami County Attorney Ashley Nelson.