MOBILE, AL (WKRG) — The daycare employee charged in connection to the death of a 5-year-old boy in Mobile has a lengthy arrest record, News 5 has learned.

According to the Mobile Metro Jail arrest history obtained by News 5, Valerie Rena Patterson has 12 arrests prior to the one on Monday for the death of 5-year-old Kamden Johnson. Even though Mobile Police say Johnson’s death is not a homicide investigation at this time,  Patterson is charged with abuse of a corpse, a class C felony.

Patterson’s arrest record, which goes back to 1991, includes 13 charges of theft of property.  Other charges include fleeing as a fugitive from the state of Florida, failure to appear in court, and giving a false name or address.       READ HERE: Valerie Patterson Arrest Record Obtained by News 5 (PDF)

News 5 is told that Patterson had many responsibilities at Community Preschool and Nursery on Hillcrest Road, where Johnson attended daycare before being found dead.  Among those responsibilities was driving around children, and her arrest record shows arrests for negligent driving with kids in the car.

Patterson was arrested on May 23, 1999 and charged with no drivers license, failure to properly restrain a child, reckless driving, and filing a false police report.

Two of the 12 arrests prior to Monday did not lead to any charges being filed.   COURT DOCUMENTS:    Manslaughter Complaint Filed Against Valarie Patterson   Abuse of a Corpse Complaint Filed Against Valerie Patterson   Kamden Johnson Civil Suit