A child in Apple Valley suffered a broken finger after being struck with a metal toilet paper holder and hit with a broom stick, according to charges.
Kelly Danielle Walls, 42, of Apple Valley, faces charges of third-degree assault and malicious punishment of a child.
According to the complaint, a school resource officer at a school in Apple Valley received a report of past child physical abuse on June 2, 2026.
The victim first complained of a painful right pinky finger on May 20, 2026, saying the injury happened the previous day when she was hit by a metal toilet paper holder. The victim said her finger was still broken and would not bend, and she had not received medical care.
READ MORE → Dakota County coverage
The victim said she had been covering for Walls, who warned her not to tell anyone what happened. The victim explained that Walls swung a metal toilet paper holder at her, and she blocked it with her hand. She also reported that Walls hit her with a broom stick during the same incident after coffee was spilled.
When asked about other injuries, the victim said, “things like that don’t even hurt me anymore because it happens all the time.” An officer and a social worker went to Walls’ home to investigate. Walls denied assaulting the victim and did not allow the officer to look in the bathrooms for the object allegedly used in the assault. Walls then asked the officer and social worker to leave.
On June 3, 2026, a doctor examined the victim and diagnosed her with an avulsion fracture on her finger. A child abuse pediatrician reviewed the medical records and imaging, concluding that the victim’s account of how the injury occurred was consistent with the fracture.
The charge of third-degree assault alleges Walls caused substantial bodily harm to the victim.
The charges were filed Thursday, August 20, in Dakota County District Court.
About This Charge
Minnesota classifies assault by degree under § 609.221 (first), § 609.222 (second), § 609.223 (third), § 609.2231 (fourth) and § 609.224 (fifth). Third-degree assault, the degree charged here, alleges substantial bodily harm and is a felony carrying up to 5 years in prison and a $10,000 fine. The malicious punishment of a child count is charged as a gross misdemeanor under § 609.377, with a maximum of 364 days in jail and a $3,000 fine.
Related MN CRIME Coverage
VIDEO: 1 Hurt in 5-Vehicle Crash on I-35W in Burnsville • Prior Lake Man Charged After Shots Fired at Cars in Burnsville • Burnsville Man Charged After Shots Fired on I-35W
Jurisdictional Context
Dakota County, immediately south of Saint Paul, is Minnesota’s third-largest county by population. The Dakota County Attorney’s Office prosecutes felonies through the First Judicial District; cases are heard at the Dakota County Judicial Center in Hastings.
