Kennewick teen charged with rape at mom’s daycare

A Kennewick teen is accused of raping a young girl at his mother’s in-home daycare.

Logan T. Santjer, 16, allegedly took the girl into a playroom on Dec. 29, told her to close her eyes and then sexually assaulted her.

The girl told her parents that evening. But by the time police got a search warrant for the video from Angie’s Kids Daycare, an 8-minute portion of the footage was gone, according to prosecutors.

Santjer was arraigned Thursday in Benton County Superior Court for first-degree child rape.

His case was moved automatically to adult court because of his age and the seriousness of the allegation. His trial is April 2.

The daycare was closed one day after a Kennewick detective met with Santjer and his parents. Santjer denied the allegations.

Online records with the state Department of Early Learning show the license for her family child care home was suspended.

Angie Santjer was first issued a state child care license in June 2004, records show. The facility had a maximum capacity of 12 children, from newborns to age 13.

Court documents show one of the children told her parents about being sexually assaulted and they called police the next day, Dec. 30.

Detective Kirk Nebeker interviewed the Santjers on Jan. 1. That’s when the detective learned there are video cameras in the living room and a playroom, and he got a warrant to seize the recordings.

Santjer is seen on the video with the girl in the living room and motioning her back to the playroom, court documents said. The living room footage continues, but that’s when the recording stops in the playroom for eight minutes.

“Detective Nebeker reports he believes the video of the playroom may have been deleted before the search warrant was served,” Deputy Prosecutor Andrew Howell wrote in documents.

Santjer was arrested Friday. He appeared Tuesday in Juvenile Court and was released from custody on his personal recognizance.

During the Thursday hearing in Superior Court, Deputy Prosecutor Anita Petra requested $10,000 bail now that it is an adult case.

“There is some concern that some evidence was destroyed in this case,” she added. “And the police do believe it was by the parents that are going to most likely be supervising the defendant while he is on release. These are, of course, allegations at this time. There is a concern given the way the family has handled this case, as well as the seriousness of this matter.”

Defense attorney Michelle Trombley argued that the facts haven’t changed since Santjer was in Juvenile Court earlier in the week. The only difference is the court jurisdiction.

She said a juvenile probation counselor recommended Santjer’s release after speaking with the teen and his parents, and the judge determined he was not a danger to the community or a threat to run.

Trombley pointed out that the family was aware Santjer would be charged and, instead of trying to hide out, they came to court knowing the teen could be locked up again.

“I don’t know what else he can do to show that he’s not leaving. He’s not going to flee this situation,” she said.

When Santjer is not at school, he will be home or in meetings with his lawyer, Trombley said.

“The alleged victim in this case was a child at a daycare center. That daycare center is no longer open. It has been suspended,” she said. “There are no children in the home.”

Judge Carrie Runge authorized Santjer’s continued release as long as he has no contact with minors and is supervised at school.

This story was originally published January 18, 2018 at 7:18 PM with the headline "Kennewick teen charged with rape at mom’s daycare."