A steady stream of cars dropped off children at the Minee Subee in the Park day-care facility starting at 7 a.m., just five days after 22-year-old Melissa Calusinski allegedly threw down 16-month-old Benjamin Kingan. She was charged over the weekend with two counts of first-degree murder and ordered held in lieu of $5 million bail.A parent who brought his child to the day-care center, where three Lincolnshire police cars were stationed this morning, said he thought Benjamin's death was an isolated incident and that the parent's experiences with the facility have been very positive. There was no way of knowing, however, if other parents had kept their children home. Day-care officials were unavailable for comment. The center has been open since the boy's death.People who know Calusinski said Sunday that they could not understand how someone who had worked with children for years could have lost her composure so tragically that, police say, she killed a toddler in frustration.A teacher's assistant at the day-care center, Calusinski, 22, of Carpentersville had cared for older children "as long as I can remember," said Brittany Baker, who said she has known Calusinski for 10 years."She loved kids," Baker said. "As far as I knew, she liked everybody she worked with."As Benjamin's family on Sunday completed funeral arrangements for the boy, Matt Walsh, an attorney for the day-care center, said Calusinski and another employee in the room that day were suspended pending an investigation by the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services. The other employee was not a suspect in the criminal inquiry, authorities said.A criminal background check turned up nothing when Minee Subee hired Calusinski a year ago at a northwest suburban location, Walsh said. The woman later transferred to the branch in Lincolnshire."The main focus at this point is to reassure parents that this is a safe facility to bring their children to," Walsh said.The parent who spoke with a Tribune reporter this morning said over the weekend one of the day-care center's assistant directors called all the parents to see how they were feeling and if they had any questions about the baby's death.Police said Calusinski threw Benjamin to the floor Wednesday when she grew frustrated that he was being noisy. His skull fractured, Benjamin grabbed his blanket and crawled to his "comfort zone," a bouncer seat, where he collapsed and later died, police said.Officials said Calusinski originally told them the child fell, but changed her story when autopsy evidence Thursday showed injuries more consistent with a one- or two-story fall."It's not at all the person I know," said Jason Strackany, 22, of Elgin, a childhood friend of Calusinski. "I really think there has to be more to this story."Benjamin's visitation has been set for 3 to 8 p.m. Tuesday in the Kolssak Funeral Home, 189 S. Milwaukee Ave., Wheeling. The funeral service is set for 11 a.m. Wednesday.
omg that is so creepy.. the image of the baby crawling away to die all comfy like.kinda something out of saw or a sking book
