Judge continues case for two former Richmond Montessori School employees after toddler wanders onto road

HENRICO COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) -- Months after two former Richmond Montessori School employees were charged in connection with an incident in 2024 when a toddler ran from the school and into traffic, a judge has decided that -- although there is sufficient evidence to convict -- the case will be continued until next year.

On Nov. 22, 2024, a toddler wandered from his class at Richmond Montessori School in Henrico County and onto Parham Road, where he was saved by a Good Samaritan, according to a statement from the school.

On Monday, Oct. 21, 2025, former Richmond Montessori School employees 34-year-old Abigail Baracat and 30-year-old Rebeca Rosas-Eterovic, who were previously charged in connection with the incident, appeared for an adjudicatory hearing in Henrico County Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court.

Both had previously pleaded not guilty to contributing to the delinquency of a minor. The judge, however, identified the facts of the case as sufficient to find the defendants guilty, but the case was continued for a "deferred disposition," meaning their charges could be dropped with good behavior.

Baracat and Rosas-Esterovic are slated to appear in court again on April 20, 2026.

In the wake of the initial incident, the Virginia Department of Social Services inspected the school in December 2024. In the subsequent report, state inspectors detailed four standards that had been violated by the school both during the incident and immediately afterward.