Plea change hearing set for Clear Lake woman accused of child endangerment at home daycare

CLEAR LAKE — A plea change hearing is set for a Clear Lake woman accused of child endangerment stemming from incidents that allegedly happened at her unregistered daycare.

A criminal complaint says a three-year-old boy left in the care of 59-year-old Peggy McLaughlin and 55-year-old Kyle McLaughlin went home in December 2016 with a welt and bruise on his lower back. He told his mother that Kyle McLaughlin had spanked him. The complaint says Peggy McLaughlin later told the mother that her husband had “swatted” the boy and another child and said it wouldn’t happen again.

Another criminal complaint says a 20-month-old girl suffered a fractured leg at the home in August 2017 and the McLaughlins didn’t seek medical assistance for her.

Peggy McLaughlin was charged with one count of child endangerment. She had filed a written plea of guilty to the charge in Cerro Gordo County District Court on October 27th, but had her trial rescheduled after prosecutors said that there was an impasse regarding a plea change agreement.

Online court records show that Judge Adam Sauer on Monday scheduled a plea change hearing in the case for February 10th in Cerro Gordo County District Court.

Kyle McLaughlin had been charged with two counts of child endangerment. He died on May 7th.