Dunwoody daycare provider sentenced to prison for death of 4-month-old boy

DUNWOODY, Ga. - A former Dunwoody daycare provider will spend decades in prison after the death of a 4-month-old infant in her care. 

In court Friday, 45-year-old Amanda Harris Hickey pleaded guilty to nine counts of cruelty to children, reckless conduct, and simple battery. She took an Alford plea - which allows her to plead guilty while maintaining her innocence - to a charge of second-degree murder in connection with the boy's death.

Dunwoody police said Hickey is the owner of Little Lovey Daycare located at her home on Leisure Lane. According to the arrest warrant, Hickey placed the Charlie Cronmiller down in a Pack 'n Play for a nap on the afternoon of Feb. 3, 2021. 

While Hickey told investigators "she put him on his back" as she was trained, police said the child was found face down. Hickey said the child must have rolled over, the warrant states.

Amanda Harris Hickey (Dunwoody Police Department).

Video obtained by police inside the home shows a different story and that Hickey placed the young boy face down, according to the arrest warrant. According to investigators, the child was left unattended for over two hours before he was found.

In April 2023, Hickey broke down crying in court as body camera video showed the moments officers performed CPR on the boy.

"It was a medical call with a baby not breathing [and] CPR in progress," Dunwoody Police Officer Kevin Lopez said while testifying in court.

Charlie Cronmiller (Courtesy of Charlie's Army)

After an investigation into the boy's death, officials accused Hickey of abusing six other victims between the ages of 6 and 16 months old.

Officials say the daycare center was only licensed for up to six children, but on the date of the alleged abuse, the home was nearly double that number.

Speaking in court Friday, Hickey say she took "absolute and complete responsibility for that day."

"The person in those videos is me. That's not who I am, but I take absolute and responsibility for my actions that day and my conduct that day," she said.

"Today’s plea and sentencing put to rest what has been a painful chapter for the families who once trusted Amanda Hickey to watch over what they hold most dear, their children," said DeKalb County District Attorney Sherry Boston.  "While her decision to plead guilty to her crimes will not undo the harm she inflicted, it does spare these families the pain of re-living their worst days at trial.  We appreciate the thoughtful sentence handed down by Judge Dear Jackson and hope it brings some measure of peace to everyone who has been impacted." 

After her plea, a DeKalb County Superior Court judge sentenced Hickey to 35 years with 30 to serve.