Day care owner accused of shooting husband acted in self-defense, attorney says
BALTIMORE -- James Weems Jr., a retired Baltimore City police officer, appeared in a Washington, D.C., courtroom Wednesday and agreed he would not fight extradition back to Maryland where he will face child molestation charges stemming from his work at his wife's daycare center in Baltimore County.
Police said Weems' wife, Shanteari, the owner of Lil Kidz Kastle daycare in Owings Mills, shot him last Thursday while they were at the Mandarin Oriental hotel in Washington during a confrontation about the abuse.
Her attorney, Tony Garcia, spoke one-on-one with WJZ Investigator Mike Hellgren Wednesday about the case.
He said Shanteari Weems recently learned about one allegation of child molestation. Then, the mother of another alleged victim spoke to Weems directly and revealed a second case of abuse.
Moments after that conversation, he said Weems got in her car and drove to her husband.
"On that day . . . a child's mother actually came and told her face to face, 'This is what your husband did to my child,'" Garcia said.
He told Hellgren his client went straight to the hotel to confront her husband "hoping against hope that there would be some way that he could explain it away. . . . She didn't want to kill him, but she would not allow him to injure another child on her watch. Not on her watch."
They met at the hotel in Washington where he was working behind closed doors.
"The two of them were in the room," Garcia said. "She's making the allegations. When confronted with a second child, he charged at her, and she had to defend herself. And she shot him. Twice. But she did not intend to kill him ever."
In addition to claiming self defense, Garcia said his client had a legal permit to carry a weapon.
"She also knows that he's armed. She doesn't know whether [his gun is] on his hip or in the closet. She's not sure," he said. When she was faced with him charging her, she didn't know whether he was armed or not, but she believes she has to defend herself."
Baltimore County police said Weems worked as a van driver at the daycare for two years. They said he is now facing charges for molesting three children.
Garcia said Shanteari Weems saw no red flags prior to the allegations.
"She had no idea at all," he said. "This was completely out of the blue. She was completely and utterly stunned. She is torn up."
Shanteari Weems has said to Garcia over and over again that if she could share one thing, it is, "How do I look those parents in the face?"
"I was asked to take care of those kids and I take that seriously, but he will not molest another child," Garcia said, repeating the words of his client.
Garcia said Shanteari Weems has a message for those who put their trust in her daycare.
"She says she's sorry to those mothers," Garcia said. "There are a lot of mothers and parents out there who are afraid right now because they don't know whether their child is not telling them something, that something happened to them or that they saw something. And she's sorry."
WJZ was unable to reach a lawyer or other representative for James Weems.
Shanteari Weems will appear in court again on Friday and Garcia said he believes she is not a danger to the public and will push to get her released on bail.
"Here he was—her husband—accused of molesting multiple children in her daycare facility so this was extremely emotional," Garcia said. This was like throwing a brick through a window of your soul. And there's a tear here. She looks at these children and she believes them. At the same time, she wants to believe her husband would never do something like that."
Police said any families affiliated with the daycare can contact Baltimore County detectives at (410) 307-2020.
