Woman who shot her husband because she believed he was molesting children faces 10 years in prison
WASHINGTON, DC: A Baltimore day care owner who shot her husband after being told he was abusing children at her center is now facing ten years in prison. Shanteari Weems, owner of the Kidz Kastle daycare, shot her husband James Weems Jr in a room at the Mandarin Oriental hotel, Washington DC on July 21.
The incident happened soon after one of the mothers of a child at the center informed her that James had molested their child. It was the second allegation Shanteari had heard, and since then, James has been charged by police in Baltimore with ten counts of suspected child abuse.
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What led to the arrest of Shanteari Weems?
On July 21, Shanteari, 50, drove alone to the Mandarin Oriental hotel in Washington DC, where James was staying to attend a conference, and shot him in the leg and the neck with her legally-owned gun. She was taken into custody after a standoff with the police and confessed to the crime. The police investigation found that James, a retired Baltimore cop, had molested at least three children of her day care in July. He was charged with ten offenses and is being held in custody.
Charges against Weems
Weems might face up to 10 years in prison on charges of assault and weapons offenses if convicted by the end of the trial. Her attorney Tony Garcia says she is a calm woman who dedicated 20 years of her life to caring for kids. "She is remorseful, but it's a relief that law enforcement believes he molested children," said Garcia. The alleged abuses happened on July 3 at the Lil Kidz Kastle daycare run by Shanteari.
Garcia added, "He was denying it, but now that it's been confirmed. She was right. He was molesting them." Later he said, "And in fact, it's worse than what she thought because there are three children involved, not two."
In an interaction with DailyMail, her attorney added, "It's ironic that they think she is a safety risk when the only reason she's in jail is because she was trying to protect the safety of children." He added that she was relieved her husband had been charged with child sex crimes since it proves she was right.
What are the charges against James Weems Jr?
James, 57, has been charged with three counts of sexual abuse of a minor, three counts of third-degree sexual assault, three counts of fourth-degree sexual assault, and one count of displaying obscene material to a minor. He was additionally charged with three counts of second-degree assault. The 57-year-old served in the Baltimore Police Department and was also a security guard for a long time. There is no confirmation on whether James has an attorney. The court docket in his case suggests he might be represented by a public defender.
