The childcare owner behind bars who shot her retired police officer at a DC hotel last week drove there to confront him after learning of a second allegation of abuse against him weeks after their Maryland center was closed by child services. when the first allegation is made, DailyMail.com may reveal.
Shanteari Weems, 50, is in custody in Washington on charges of domestic violence and gun crime. On Thursday, she shot her husband, retired cop James Weems Jr., in his room at the Mandarin Oriental, a five-star hotel priced at $400 a night, where he was staying overnight to attend a conference.
DailyMail.com can reveal that Weems, a mother who has worked in childcare herself for 20 years, drove into D.C. in a frenzy from her home in Randallstown, Maryland, after one of the parents at her daycare learned that her husband had been abusing her. . their child.
It was the second charge against him; the first blinded Lil Kidz Kastle, the daycare that Shanteari runs where her husband worked as a bus driver.
Shanteari Weems, 50, and her husband, James Weems Jr., 57. Today she is in custody with intent to kill and arm him after shooting him, and he is in the hospital. He has been arrested for child sex offenses in connection with alleged abuse at the daycare his wife has been running since 2015.
Shanteari Weems, 50, and her husband, James Weems Jr., 57. Today she is in custody with intent to kill and arm him after shooting him, and he is in the hospital. He has been arrested for child sex offenses in connection with alleged abuse at the daycare his wife has been running since 2015.
When Shanteari heard the second accusation, she drove 50 miles south to Washington to confront him in his room. Her lawyer claims he became violent and then she fired a weapon at him in self-defense. It is still unclear whose weapon it was.
Now Shanteari’s lawyer and family fight for her release, while James awaits his first child abuse trial.
‘She’s in hell. This is a woman who was completely and utterly traumatized by having these mothers come to her.
“She didn’t want him to touch another kid…not wait for her—that’s for sure.
“She’s been doing this for twenty years. She built this business from scratch. Her entire life’s work is for mothers to trust her and allow her to take care of their children while they go to work. To make this happen… and it’s not even an employee.
“It’s her husband,” attorney Tony Garcia told DailyMail.com.
The first allegations against James Weems were made earlier this month. As a result, the nursery was abruptly closed.
Weems is a 57-year-old retired cop who had worked in private security and helped out at the daycare by driving a bus.
Prior to the incident at the hotel on Thursday, the daycare center in Owings Mills, Maryland, was closed due to the first charge against him.
Weems is shown outside the nursery in Owings Mills, Maryland. She was furious when the center was closed earlier this month after the first charges against her husband
Weems is shown outside the nursery in Owings Mills, Maryland. She was furious when the center was closed earlier this month after the first charges against her husband
An interior of the Lil Kidz Kastle Child Development Center. Shanteari’s attorney told DailyMail.com:
An interior of the Lil Kidz Kastle Child Development Center. Shanteari’s attorney told DailyMail.com: “She’s been doing this for 20 years. She built this business from scratch. Her entire life’s work is for mothers to trust her and allow her to take care of their children while they go to work. To make this happen… and it’s not even an employee. It’s her husband’
It is unclear whether all the children involved are boys or girls, but three different charges are now being raised against Weems.
On Thursday, he was in DC and his hardworking wife, who also volunteers at a nonprofit that cleans the street, heard about another mother.
“She wanted to see him to ask him if it was true or not, so she drove to DC. Now he’s a retired Marine, he’s a former cop, he’s worked in security, and he’s armed. She went hoping the accusation wasn’t true.
“He reacted violently to accusations and she had to defend herself.”
It is unclear what exactly happened in the room over the next hour. Police arrived after an alarm went off in the room.
During an hour-long standoff inside, James screamed that he had been shot in the leg and head.
The couple had been at the $400-a-night hotel in Washington DC for James, a retired agent, to attend an event
The couple had been at the $400-a-night hotel in Washington DC for James, a retired agent, to attend an event
Childcare owner Shanteari Weems, 50, was arrested on July 20 after shooting her husband in the head. She’d just been told he was molesting some kids in her nursery
Childcare owner Shanteari Weems, 50, was arrested on July 20 after shooting her husband in the head. She’d just been told he was molesting some kids in her nursery
Shanteari began taking notes writing down her desire to “paralyze” her husband. She said she wanted him to “pay” for what he did to the children, and her only regret was that she “didn’t put a bullet through his head.”
She was eventually arrested and he was taken to hospital, where he remains with a broken femur.
He is conscious and is expected to survive the incident, although he claims to have been shot in the head.
Shanteari’s friends and family rally behind her, pledging to fight for her freedom on social media and launching GoFundMe campaigns to pay for her legal fees.
“We’re hoping for bail, that’s our hope,” her lawyer said. She will appear in court on Friday.
The details of the allegations against Weams remain scarce. Maryland Child Protective Services declined to comment on the matter citing privacy laws.
A spokesperson for the Ministry of Education would not confirm when it specifically received complaints against Weams.
Shanteari Weems, 50, owns Lil Kidz Kastle in Owing Mills, Maryland
James Weems, pictured here, faces multiple counts of child sexual abuse
Shanteari Weems, 50, owns Lil Kidz Kastle in Owing Mills, Maryland
Baltimore County Police said it had been investigating Weems since earlier this month.
Baltimore County detectives began investigating Weems earlier this month after being made aware of the abuse. Weem faces multiple charges.
He is currently hospitalized in police custody in Washington DC pending his extradition.
“Baltimore County detectives continue to work closely with detectives from the Metropolitan Police Department and with members of the Baltimore County State’s Attorney’s Office, the Maryland State Department of Education and the Maryland Department of Human Services, Child Protective Services,” a spokesperson said.
Meanwhile, the woman’s friends fight for her release.
“Shanny and I have been friends for 32 years . . . for the last few years she has supported my student workers and the Baltimore Clean Streets program.
“Shanny has provided a catered lunch and vacation pay — $75/student worker x 30 — each of the past two years for the past two years,” Sean Stinnett, who leads the program, told DailyMail.com.
Her adult children set up a GoFundMe account to raise money for her defense, but it was cut at the last minute.
