Who is Theah Russell and what is she accused of?

Theah Russell is an 18-year-old former daycare employee accused of intentionally suffocating an 11-month-old infant and harming another child.

What happened at Rocking Horse Ranch?

Rocking Horse Ranch is a daycare in Savage, Minnesota, where an infant died and another child was allegedly harmed by an employee.

When did the infant's death occur?

The infant, Harvey Muklebust, died on September 22, 2026.

Home / Crime and Justice / Infant Suffocated at MN Daycare; Employee Arrested

Infant Suffocated at MN Daycare; Employee Arrested

14 Jan

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Summary

Daycare worker allegedly confessed to intentionally suffocating an infant.
Another child was also allegedly harmed by the employee.
The daycare's operating license was suspended following the infant's death.

Infant Suffocated at MN Daycare; Employee Arrested

An 18-year-old daycare worker in Savage, Minnesota, has been arrested and accused of intentionally suffocating an 11-month-old infant to death. Theah Loudemia Russell, an employee at Rocking Horse Ranch, allegedly confessed to suffocating Harvey Muklebust on September 22, 2026, and also admitted to harming another child. Investigators believe Russell acted intentionally on three occasions seeking attention, citing her documented history of such behavior.

Authorities visited the daycare on September 19, 2026, after a 4-month-old girl was found briefly unresponsive. The infant recovered, but a similar incident occurred on September 22, just before Harvey Muklebust was found not breathing. Russell called 911 for Harvey around 10:00 a.m. that day, but he was pronounced dead at the hospital shortly after.