DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – A northwest Iowa day care provider has been charged with first-degree murder in the death of a 3-year-old girl she was watching in late October.  Sioux County Attorney Coleman McAllister says Rochelle Sapp has been arrested after test results confirmed the girl, Autumn Elgersma, died of blunt force trauma.

Rochelle Sapp

Sapp was initially charged with willful injury and child endangerment but on Oct. 31 when Autumn died McAllister dropped the charges. He says it was important to wait for a ruling on the cause of death and other tests.  He says Sapp was arrested Thursday. Her case is not yet listed in court records and it’s unclear if she has an attorney.

Sapp initially reported Autumn had fallen but later said she threw her to the floor after becoming angry.