STUARTS DRAFT, VA (Rocktown Now) — A Stuarts Draft woman has pled guilty to 1 charge of child neglect.

In October of 2022, the Augusta County Sheriff’s Office responded to a call about an unresponsive infant at an unlicensed daycare center operated by Denise Stewart at her house.

Stewart was taking care of 12 children when police responded, which is three times over the legal limit of four children per one adult.

Upon arrival, deputies found a nearly 2-year-old unresponsive and could not be resuscitated.

After a year of investigations after conflicting stories from Stewart, the Sheriff’s Office arrested her for multiple counts of child neglect and welfare fraud.

12 other child neglect charges were continued until Stewart’s sentencing on November 18 in Augusta County Circuit Court.