Background: The home in Little Rock, Ark., where Erin Sauls ran a day care center (KATV). Inset (left): Erin Sauls (Little Rock Police Department). Inset (right): Elijah Flowerday (GoFundMe).
A troubling case has emerged in Arkansas, where a 23-year-old woman is now facing a capital murder charge following the tragic death of an 8-month-old infant. Erin Sauls, who operated a daycare center from her home in Little Rock, is accused of violently assaulting the child, leading to this heartbreaking outcome.
The incident unfolded on a Tuesday morning when Sauls was caring for little Elijah Flowerday. According to an arrest report obtained by KATV, local police received an emergency call from Sauls’ residence, alerting them to the distressing situation that Elijah had stopped breathing. Emergency responders quickly transported the infant to Arkansas Children’s Hospital, where he was sadly pronounced dead upon arrival.
Authorities revealed that Elijah had suffered severe injuries, including “a skull fracture and multiple brain bleeds.” Sauls reportedly confessed to the police that in a moment of frustration, exacerbated by a headache, she had hit the infant’s head against the hardwood floor three times while changing his diaper.
Following the incident, Sauls was arrested and is now facing a charge of capital murder. Denied bail, she remains in custody at the Pulaski County Detention Facility, with her next court appearance slated for February 27.
The community has been left reeling by these events. Local NBC affiliate KARK spoke with Aliyah Fulton, a parent who previously relied on Sauls’ daycare services for her two young children. Fulton shared that she had stopped using Sauls’ services in the past due to cancellations but had recently given her a second chance. However, a strong intuition led Fulton to ultimately decide against continuing with Sauls, with her last visit occurring in October 2025.
Local NBC affiliate KARK spoke with Aliyah Fulton, who used Sauls’ day care for her two toddler-aged children last July. She stopped bringing them there when Sauls started canceling on her, but she gave her a second chance a few months later. But Fulton told KARK, “Something was telling me literally on my car ride home to pick up my boys, like don’t go back to her.” She stopped using Sauls’ service in October 2025.
Fulton also told KARK that other parents said Sauls was allegedly caring for more than five children at her home, which is against the law for an unlicensed day care operator. According to Sauls’ neighbors, who spoke to KATV, they did not believe she had more than five children at a time.
While Fulton called Sauls a “really sweet person,” she said that if she were convicted of the charge against her, Sauls deserved “prison for life. She doesn’t deserve to see the light of day again.”
The Flowerday family started a GoFundMe for Elijah’s funeral expenses.
