By CHRIS GLORIOSO I PIX News At Ten

June 15, 2009
OZONE PARK, N.Y.—
Prosecutors spent Monday night considering criminal charges against a Queens babysitter after a freak daycare death. Just before 11:30am, 11-month-old Daniel Farrior of Richmond Hill somehow fell headfirst into a bucket full of mop water.

"He was limp," said Liz Rivero, a neighbor who saw medics try to rush the baby out of the home daycare on 108th Street.

Questions now surround the Ozone Park house where the baby died and the babysitter who was watching him. Law enforcement sources say 28-year-old Kristal Khan was caring for Farrior and her own two children when the accident happened. As of 11pm she was still answering questions inside the NYPD 102nd Precinct. Her home daycare was unlicensed.

"I never knew they had a daycare center," said neighbor Marie Spiller. "Today was the first day I ever saw that sign."

The front window of Khan's house is decorated with colorful letters that spell "Childcare, All Day, Everyday." Regulators at both the state and city levels said a preliminary investigation showed Khan was not required to have a license with New York's Office of Child and Family Services. Babysitters are only required to be licensed if they care for three or more unrelated children.

New York, New Jersey and Connecticut all have websites that allow parents to check if their daycare providers are licensed. New Yorkers who hire in-home nannies also have the right to request criminal background checks.

The New York City Medical Examiner has scheduled Daniel Farrior's autopsy for Tuesday morning. Investigators could not say whether he drowned in the mop water or broke his neck in the fall.

A police source said Farrior's mother wanted to wait at the 102nd Precinct while prosecutors decided whether or not to charge Khan. Ultimately, cops convinced the distraught parent to go home and rest.

Back at Khan's home daycare, William Munoz insisted his neighbor is as careful a babysitter as there is.

"She usually takes good care of the kids because a lot of parents trust her and I've seen it myself," he said, "She's a very responsible person."