Day Care Owner Sought After Failing to Appear for Trial in Molestation Case
The owner of a Parrish day care center accused of molesting teenage employees is now wanted by authorities after he failed to appear for the start of his trial Monday, according to court records.
Sanjay Das, 58, owner of Country Cubs Day Care, was scheduled to appear before Circuit Court Judge Stephen Whyte for jury selection and trial proceedings. When Das failed to appear, Judge Whyte issued a bench warrant for his arrest.
Das was arrested in January 2024 following an investigation by the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office into allegations that he committed lewd and lascivious acts against two teenage girls who worked at his day care. Detectives began looking into Das the previous summer after receiving a report of inappropriate touching. During months of interviews with employees, investigators identified a second underage victim who described similar encounters while she was employed at the center.
Das was ultimately charged with lewd and lascivious molestation and lewd and lascivious touching of certain minors.
In February 2024, the Florida Department of Children and Families issued an emergency suspension order, halting the operation of Country Cubs Day Care. At the time of Das’s arrest, the sheriff’s office stated that investigators had found no evidence suggesting he had victimized any children enrolled at the day care.
Authorities are now searching for Das as the criminal case continues.
