Hot sauce case heads to trial in July

</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[Christi D. Bailey, charged with placing hot sauce on the tongues of children at a day care center, has a July 17 trial date in her case.

Bailey, 27, 1545 Walnut Grove Road, Harrisburg, entered a not-guilty plea in her case, which was scheduled for a preliminary hearing Thursday.

She waived the preliminary hearing.

Formal charges filed by the State's Attorney's office contend Bailey put hot sauce on the tongues of four children at Little Angels Day Care Center between October and Feb. 13. Authorities also contend Bailey grabbed a child and slammed her into a chair, and dragged a child into the office of the day care center while squeezing his arm.

She also is charged with unlawful communication with a witness in that she indirectly threatened to fire Christi A. Prather for providing information in an investigation by the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services, according to court documents.

Bailey, who is free on bond, is represented by attorney Sam Beggs.