A licensed Manteca daycare owner faces serious criminal charges following the death of an infant in her care, with police alleging she was intoxicated when the child became unresponsive.
Roxanne Helus, owner of Cherished Years Daycare, was arrested and charged with causing death to a child under 8 and felony child endangerment after an infant died on October 24. The tragedy unfolded on the afternoon of October 22, when first responders were called to the daycare for a report of an infant not breathing, according to CBS News. Officers arrived to find an adult performing CPR on the child, police say.
Officers took over life-saving efforts until medics arrived. The infant was initially rushed to a nearby hospital before being transferred to Oakland Children's Hospital, where the child died two days later.
Four Adults Present, Owner Allegedly Intoxicated
When officers responded to the daycare on October 22, they allegedly found Helus intoxicated at the business. Four adults and three other children were at the daycare that day; all the other children were unharmed. Helus was booked into San Joaquin County Jail but has since posted bail and been released.
The case has now been referred to California Community Care Licensing to assist with the investigation into the daycare. The agency, which oversees the state's licensed childcare facilities, will examine whether any licensing violations occurred beyond the criminal allegations, according to CBS News.
Part of Troubling Pattern in California Childcare
This incident joins a disturbing trend of fatal childcare incidents across California this year. In May 2025, two women operating an unlicensed daycare in Monterey County were arrested after a 3-month-old infant died in their care—with detectives alleging they had been watching up to 30 children of various ages at the same time, according to ABC7 News. In November 2024, a San Francisco daycare faced a lawsuit after a 13-month-old choked to death, with attorneys alleging none of the caregivers were certified in pediatric first aid or CPR, according to KRON4.
Among the 30 states and Washington, D.C., that published 2023 data, California had the highest number of deaths last year: 10, with one child dying at a child care center and nine dying at in-home daycares, according to The 19th. The publication's investigation found that California is also out of compliance with federal regulations, failing to post any data on serious injuries or substantiated incidents of child abuse at licensed facilities.
San Joaquin County's Recent Childcare Tragedies
The broader San Joaquin County region has experienced multiple devastating childcare incidents in recent years. In October 2023, two toddlers—18-month-old Payton Cobb and 16-month-old Lillian Jade Hanan—drowned in a backyard pool at San Jose's Happy Happy Day Care. The daycare's co-owners, Nina Fathizadeh and her mother Shahin Gheblehshenas, face nine counts of child endangerment, with prosecutors alleging the facility was understaffed and children were left unsupervised, according to KRON4. That case remains pending, with a preliminary hearing scheduled for August 2025.
State records show that deaths at licensed child care centers in California are rare, with just three reported from 2017 to 2023, according to NBC News. However, the true scope of the problem may be difficult to assess given California's failure to report comprehensive injury and abuse data—a requirement under federal law that the state has not met.
Legal Implications and Licensing Process
Helus faces two serious charges: causing death to a child under 8, which could result in years in state prison if convicted, and felony child endangerment. California law allows daycare providers facing such charges to appeal licensing decisions and citations, with different appeal processes depending on the severity of violations, according to Public Counsel. For violations resulting in death, serious bodily injury, or physical abuse, providers may appeal to an Administrative Law Judge using procedures outlined in the California Government Code.
The California Department of Social Services' Community Care Licensing Division regulates licensed childcare facilities, setting requirements for staff members including pediatric CPR and first-aid training, child development courses, and the number of children permitted at a daycare site, according to NBC News. Monterey County Sheriff's Commander Andres Rosas explained that these standards "give you a little bit more peace of mind that your child is safe at this particular location."
Parents seeking information about licensed facilities can access inspection reports, complaints, and violations through the California Department of Social Services' online database. Anyone can file a complaint about a licensed child care facility by calling the Community Care Licensing hotline at 1-844-538-8766 or visiting their website, according to My Child Care Plan.
Why This Story Matters Now
This article is being written five days after the infant's death on October 24, as details about the arrest and charges have just become public. The case highlights ongoing concerns about childcare safety in California at a time when the state faces criticism for inadequate transparency around childcare incidents. With working families depending on licensed childcare facilities to keep their children safe, incidents like this raise urgent questions about oversight, enforcement, and whether current regulations are sufficient to prevent tragedies.
The Manteca Police Department's investigation is ongoing. No further details about the infant's identity or the specific circumstances leading to the child's death have been released.
