Babysitting goes awry as group attacks sitter

What started as an evening of babysitting ended with a 6-on-1 fight and charges against two Owatonna women.

Mickayla Marie Eustice, 25, and Claire Ella Schwartz-Woosley, 18, have both been charged with two counts of felony first-degree burglary and one count of fifth-degree assault, a misdemeanor.

They were conditionally released from custody without bail; Schwartz-Woosley is due back in court on Dec. 14.

No initial appearance was set for Eustice, pending the results of a competency assessment.

The incident began Oct. 22, when Owatonna Police were called to a home on Rose Street for a report of an assault.

A female at the residence said she was babysitting a child there when a friend called and asked to come over and hang out.

When the babysitter opened the door for the friend to come in, five other people – including three juveniles, Eustice, and Schwartz-Woosley – walked past her and spread throughout the house, presumably to make sure the homeowners weren’t there.

The babysitter told them all to leave, then called the parents of the child.

According to the criminal complaint, the victim tried to get the child to go upstairs because she “knew they were going to do something.”

When the babysitter sat on the couch, Eustice approached her and reportedly began to punch her in the face. The babysitter pushed Eustice off her. They both fell to the floor, which is when the alleged victim said everyone started to hit her – in front of the child. One of the juveniles was recording it on his phone.

The child’s father confirmed the call from the babysitter. Court documents say as they talked, he suddenly heard the phone drop to the floor and the victim saying, “ow, ow,” as he heard an assault.

An officer spoke with Eustice and Schwartz-Woosley, who told similar stories.

Schwartz-Woosley said she and Eustice had been visiting with one of the juveniles when another female called. It was the same person who had called the babysitter, asking to hang out, but she told the juvenile that she wanted to go beat up the babysitter.

That suspect picked up Schwartz-Woosley, Eustice and the juvenile, then drove to the residence on Rose Street. The driver’s sister and a friend were also in the car.

As they all stood in the house, the ringleader said, “go go go,” and Eustice jumped on the babysitter, the complaint says.

When the babysitter pushed Eustice off and got the upper hand, Schwartz-Woosley reportedly said she got behind the babysitter and tried to pull her off Eustice, “then people jumped in and started beating” the victim.

Nearly as quickly as it started, it was over, the documents say. The four juveniles ran out of the house and drove away, leaving Eustice and Schwartz-Woosley behind.

The babysitter was left with a black eye and an abrasion on her upper lip.

The burglary counts are both punishable by up to 20 years in prison, a $35,000 fine, or both.

The misdemeanor assault charge carries a maximum penalty of 90 days in jail, a $1,000 fine, or both.