Sleepy Eye stepmother previously accused of abuse facing new allegations of assault against stepchildren

(New Ulm, MN) – A Sleepy Eye woman who made headlines for allegedly abusing her stepchildren is now accused of nearly hitting two of the children intentionally with her vehicle.

Stephanie Ann Fromm, 32, was charged in Brown County Court with two felony counts of 2nd-degree assault.

According to the criminal complaint, a witness called police in September after receiving information secondhand that Fromm had tried to run over one of the children. Police interviewed all three children, one of whom witnessed Fromm try to hit the two others with her vehicle.

The child that witnessed the incident said that he saw Fromm pull up from where he watching in the garage, according to the complaint. He said Fromm stopped her vehicle right before she hit the shop, and the victim screamed. He told investigators that Fromm then turned the vehicle around and drove towards a second child who had to jump on the deck to avoid Fromm hitting him.

The girl victim told police Fromm pulled in the driveway that day and drove past the concrete apron where she normally parks. She said she had to run into the garage so Fromm wouldn’t hit her. The boy victim said Fromm was stomping her feet when she exited the car that day, the same way she does when she is angry.

Brown County investigators seized recording devices from the home on September 13th, but needed assistance from Washington County for forensic review.

According to court documents, a Brown County investigator found the reported incident on video from August 31. 2018. Investigative reports say Fromm accelerated as she drove towards the girl, reversed the vehicle, and drove towards the boy. Video of the entire month of August was reviewed, and there were no previous incidents of Fromm driving in that manner.

Fromm is due in court on April 29th.

She was previously charged with threats of violence and malicious punishment of a child. She was accused last September of forcing her stepchildren to sleep on the concrete basement floor without blankets and making them take cold showers.

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