Somali-run day care in Minneapolis broken into, vandalized

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - Someone broke into a Somali-run day care in Minneapolis earlier this week, causing "extensive vandalism," according to Nokomis Daycare Center. Police are investigating the incident. 

RELATED: Federal government freezes Minnesota child care funding amid fraud investigation

Nokomis Daycare Center in Minneapolis vandalized after viral video

What we know:

Staff at Nokomis Daycare Center held a news conference on Wednesday, speaking about the vandalism in light of Nick Shirley's viral social media video that alleges fraud by Somali child care centers. Minnesota officials say past visits and investigations related to the centers named in the video uncovered no hard evidence of fraud. 

"The rhetoric of the video seeks to promote division and hate towards the Somali community, which has real life consequences as evidenced by the damage sustained by the center," the day care center said in a news release. 

Nokomis Daycare was not featured in the viral video. The Minnesota Department of Human Services website says Nokomis Daycare Center is operating in good standing and is licensed to care for up to 71 children, including infants, toddlers and preschool-age children.

READ MORE: Through the years: A decade of investigating fraud in Minnesota

Nasrulah Mohamed, a manager at the day care center, said during Wednesday's news conference he and another manager arrived at 6 a.m. on Tuesday to find a burglar damaged the building to get in. The office door was also damaged, and "important documentation," including documents related to employees and children at the day care, was missing.

Mohamed believes the break-in happened between 3 a.m. and 6 a.m. on Tuesday.

The Minneapolis Police Department told FOX 9 the center reported the break-in the morning of Dec. 30, and preliminary information indicates the center was broken into overnight while it was closed. Police said on Wednesday morning, the day care center informed police about what was taken from the business. 

What they're saying:

A staff member from another day care center in the Twin Cities joined Wednesday's news conference, criticizing Shirley's video and the federal government's decision to freeze child care funding. They also expressed their support for day care providers in the state, saying just because a day care is Somali-run does not mean it should be targeted but stressed that fraud needs to be investigated and prosecuted. 

Minneapolis day care fraud claims 

The backstory:

In the viral video, YouTuber Nick Shirley claimed to have uncovered fraud during a visit to 10 day care centers in Minnesota. This prompted FBI Director Kash Patel to announce door-to-door checks of providers by Homeland Security investigators in Minnesota on Monday.

Minnesota Department of Children, Youth and Families (DCYF) Commissioner Tikki Brown on Monday addressed the video directly, saying each of the 10 facilities featured in the video had been visited at least once by the state over the last six months as part of standard licensing checks. The state is now reviewing each site again to check on the claims raised in the video, Brown added.

DCYF officials say they currently have 55 open investigations related to the Child Care Assistance Program.

Meanwhile, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced on Tuesday it has frozen all child care payments to Minnesota amid the ongoing investigation and allegations of fraud. That equates to about $185 million per year.

Minneapolis child care providers under increased scrutiny

Local perspective:

Ibrahim Ali, the manager of Quality Learning Center in Minneapolis, has denied any wrongdoing after the day care center was featured in Shirley's viral video accusing the center of fraud.

"You don’t come outside of operational hours and say they’re using taxpayer dollars. That’s completely false," he said. "When there’s a specific sign on our door that says our days and hours. He came outside those hours and then claimed, hey they’re closed."

During Monday's news conference, state officials said the Quality Learning Center had closed. However, officials later sent a correction stating the Quality Learning Center had notified DCYF on Dec. 19 that it was closing, but officials learned Monday afternoon they had decided to remain open.

ABC Learning was another provider featured in the video. It was filled with children on Tuesday. The owner got emotional while defending her business.

"If I do something wrong, hold me accountable. I’m a human being, I can take my problems. But don’t blame me something I have nothing to do with," said Umi of ABC Learning.

"This center was opened five-and-a-half years," said Ahmed Hasan of ABC Learning. "This center never had a problem as far as I know. This ABC Learning Center never had a problem."

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