Mother sues Chicago day care center, owner over daughter's death

A West Garfield Park day care center and its owner are being sued over claims a young girl died while being hidden in a bedroom during a state agency's monitoring visit.

Tanesha Oatman, individually and as administrator of the Estate of her daughter, Tyla Carter, filed a lawsuit May 6 in the Cook County Circuit Court against Family & Friends Home Day Care and Sharon Trull-Yussuff, citing wrongful death.

Oatman claims her daughter, Tyla Carter, was one of the children Trull-Yussuff watched at her Wilcox Street day care facility. The suit alleges the Illinois Department of Child and Family Services conducted a monitoring visit on Aug. 6, when the defendant hid Tyla in a bedroom outside the day care because she had more children than the law permits.

Tyla, according to the complaint, die after having a difficult time breathing while napping in the bedroom.

Oatman is seeking damages in excess of $50,000 and is being represented in the case by Chicago attorney Brian C. Thomas of Thomas Law.

Cook County Circuit Court Case No. 2014L004936.

This is a report on a civil lawsuit filed in the Cook County Circuit Court. The details in this report come from an original complaint filed by a plaintiff. Please note, a complaint represents an accusation by a private individual, not the government. It is not an indication of guilt, and it only represents one side of the story.