LOVELAND — A Northern Colorado home where parents believed their children were safe is now the site of a criminal investigation.
Denver7 obtained the arrest affidavit for Michelle Sanders, 51, which contained new details about the Loveland Police Department's (LPD) investigation that preceded her arrest.
Sanders, who was arrested on Nov. 20, worked as an in-home child care provider. According to the Colorado Department of Early Childhood Education (CDEC), Sanders was not licensed by the state at the time of her arrest.
CDEC confirmed to Denver7 that Sanders was licensed by the state from 2015 until mid-August of this year. Sanders "voluntarily closed her license" on August 14. A CDEC spokesperson said that providers are inspected annually, and Sanders last licensing visit was August 15 of last year.
Sanders now faces four charges of child abuse — one of which is a Class 3 felony. The other charges are misdemeanors.
"From the initial report, it's determined that she [Sanders] was the only one that would facilitate child care," said Chris Padgett, public information officer for the Loveland Police Department. "The charges have been filed. They're very solid. And essentially, we do believe that, based off the information we've gathered so far, that there are additional victims that could be out there at this point.”
Loveland Police want to speak with any potential "additional victims" in the case against Sanders. Any parent or guardian who used Sanders' at-home day care and "noticed signs of harm or troubling conduct" is asked to contact investigators by calling (970) 962-2032, and referencing case LP25-0007224.
“The biggest thing that we've noticed on some of our social media platforms are people in the community blaming parents for not paying attention, not looking into the child care facility more diligently and so forth," Padgett explained. "We want to just squash those rumors, because from the outside looking in — especially with the parents that we know their children were harmed — they did their due diligence into looking into this child care facility. We don't want the parents blamed."
Padgett said investigators do not want other parents to feel as though they will face public scrutiny if they come forward.
"This is something that unfortunately occurred, and we need everyone to speak up," said Padgett. “A lot these cases are very complex, and they don't just fit into an investigative box."
According to Padgett, some of the offenses date back to last year.
- Colorado Shines Website
- Toll-free number 1-877-338-CARE (2273)
- Email childcarereferrals@unitedwaydenver.org
- Text "child care referrals" to 898-211
- Complete the child care online intake form
It was August 26 of this year when LPD received a call for service from a representative with Children's Hospital Colorado. A family brought their young child to the hospital after noticing he was "favoring his left arm," the affidavit states.
As a result, the child had a full skeletal examination and the findings required medical providers to notify both LPD and the Department of Human Services (DHS). The affidavit writes that the examination revealed an "old fracture in his left arm, a healing fracture in his right arm, and possibly something wrong with his leg."
The boy's parents were informed he suffered an "intentional break," but told doctors they had "no idea" how their child sustained such injuries.
Initially, the parents denied having any concerns about Sanders' day care. Then, they allegedly created a timeline and noted several dates when their son had "minor injuries" when picked up from day care. The parents had previously believed those injuries were due to "being in a day care with slightly older children."
According to the affidavit, the injuries range from June to August of this year, and include a bruise above the left eyebrow, a "large gash" under the chin, and bruising along the top of an ear.
During that same time period, the family was also concerned about their son's poor weight gain.
Sanders claimed nothing unusual happened to the boy while in her care on August 25, the day before the trip to Children's Hospital Colorado.
Another parent told investigators they "noted several previous minor injuries" to their child that allegedly happened while at Sanders' day care. Some of those injuries included sores in the back of their child's throat.
A pediatrician allegedly told the baby's parent that one reason for the lesions on the side of the child's tongue could be the "overheating of his bottles" while at the day care.
Doctors also recorded a weight loss for this four-month old child, roughly a month after Sanders' began regularly watching the baby.
That same family used Sanders' day care for another child, according to the affidavit. In Sept. of 2024, Sanders allegedly told the parent their child "fell into her van" causing a "swollen and bruised" forehead.
Before explaining what happened to the child, Sanders apparently told the mother that "I love your family. Please don't think I'm abusing your child."
A third family also told investigators that their child came home from day care with a "large welt on his forehead" in June. Sanders allegedly told the family their son "fell off the couch."
On Sept. 17, a Child Protection Team conducted a review of medical concerns related to Sanders' day care. The medical professionals determined that all of the injuries "were believed to be consistent with Child Physical Abuse."
In addition, the fractures in the right arm of the first child were found to be "consistent with an intentional action and did not appear to be consistent with an accidental fall or typical play amongst children."
According to the Larimer County Jail, Sanders is being held on a $125,000 cash/surety bond. She has a court appearance scheduled for Dec. 1.
The CDEC encourages all families to review licensing status and inspection reports when choosing a child care facility.
Anyone struggling to find care for their children can reach out to the statewide Colorado Shines Child Care Resource & Referral (CCR&R) for assistance.
- Colorado Shines Website
- Toll-free number 1-877-338-CARE (2273)
- Email childcarereferrals@unitedwaydenver.org
- Text "child care referrals" to 898-211
- Complete the child care online intake form
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