By Tony Gordon | Daily Herald Staff

A Lake County judge on Monday refused to lower the $5 million bond set for a woman accused of killing a toddler at a Lincolnshire day care center.

An attorney for Melissa Calusinski, 22, argued the bond was too high for someone with no prior criminal record, no mental health issues and no history of substance abuse.

Calusinski, of Carpentersville, is charged with killing 16-month-old Benjamin Kingan of Deerfield on Jan. 14 by throwing him to the ground.

Assistant State’s Attorney Christen Bishop said Calusinski was the only adult in the room with Benjamin and seven other children when the attack took place.

The children were eating animal crackers at snack time, Bishop said, and had were making noise when Calusinski picked up Benjamin and threw him to the floor.

An autopsy showed Benjamin had died of a skull fracture inflicted with force equivalent to a fall from a one- or two-story building, Bishop said.

Defense attorney George Kililis of Crystal Lake asked Circuit Judge Victoria Rossetti to set a bond of $250,000 to $500,000, which would allow Calusinski’s family to use the equity in their home to free their daughter.

But Rossetti said she thought the original bond was appropriate and allowed it to stand.

Calusinski faces life in prison if convicted and is due to appear in court April 7.