NEWS
Breaking News: He was a retired police officer. He drove the daycare van. He used that access to abuse a 10-year-old girl Maryland daycare owner released from prison after shooting ex-husband over child sex abuse …see more
A Baltimore County daycare owner who shot her husband when she learned he was sexually abusing children at the facility has been released from prison.
Shanteari Weems, now Shanteari Young, was a daycare owner in Owings Mills, Maryland, who shot her husband James Weems Jr. twice in a Washington, D.C. hotel room in July 2022 after learning he had been sexually abusing children at her facility, Lil Kidz Kastle.
James, a retired Baltimore police officer, drove the daycare van and used that access to abuse a 10-year-old girl.
Shanteari pleaded guilty to aggravated assault and carrying a firearm without a license. The judge rejected a 2-year plea deal and sentenced her to 4 years.
She served most of her sentence and was released in June 2025. James was convicted in November 2024 and sentenced to life in prison in April 2025.
After her release, Shanteari said she has no regrets and is now advocating for child abuse prevention legislation in Maryland.
