On Thursday, April 18, 2024, at approximately 2:50 p.m., Officers from the New Castle County Division of Police were dispatched to Nemours Children’s Hospital for the possible near drowning of a child. Officers were advised by the Medical Staff that a 3-year-old male had injuries consistent with being submerged underwater and suffering from hypothermia.

Detectives from the New Castle County Division of Police Criminal Investigations Unit were notified and assumed the investigation.

Detectives then responded to Gordy’s Little Angels Day Care located on the 300 block of Hackberry Drive. Detectives learned that the Owner had to leave the daycare to go to the store and turned the daycare over to her employee 21-year-old Natalia Harding of Bear, DE. Detectives determined that Natalia Harding was inside the residence preparing lunch as a group of unsupervised children were playing outside when she noticed a child in the water on top of the pool cover on the above-ground pool. Natalia Harding then removed the 3-year-old male from the water and called 911.

The 3-year-old male was transported via ambulance to Nemours Children’s Hospital where he was treated and released.

On April 19, 2024, the Delaware Office of Child Care Licensing temporarily shut down the daycare where this incident occurred.

On April 22, 2024, after reviewing the case with the Delaware Attorney General’s Office, detectives obtained a warrant for the arrest of Natalia Harding. Natalia Harding subsequently turned herself in on April 23, 2024, at the New Castle County Police headquarters, and was charged with the following crimes:

·One felony count of endangering the welfare of a child <18 that caused injury.

Natalia Harding was arraigned by the Justice of the Peace Court #2 and released on $2000.00 unsecured bond.

Natalia Harding (21)

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