A babysitter daycare worker was caught on camera allegedly molesting a child, the nanny was arrested and a co-worker faces a charge for failing to report the episode.
Babysitter arrested after causing fracture to 1-year-old infant
Yamirka Menendez, 51, was arrested and faces child abuse charges after grabbing a 1-year-old boy by the wrists and lifting him three feet in the air before dropping him to the ground. The child suffered a broken leg, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release.
Menendez has also been charged with “forcibly” grabbing a 4-month-old baby and slapping him several times at the Time of Wonder Academy in Tampa, Florida, on Sept. 8.
Milagros Rodriguez, 52, has been charged with failing to report the abusive behavior.
The sheriff’s office said the mother of the 1-year-old boy noticed her son was suffering from pain in his left foot the next day. She took him to St. Joseph’s Hospital, where he was found to have fractures in his tibia and fibula.
On Thursday, he was examined again by staff from the University of South Florida Child Protection Team, who determined that the child had been physically abused.
The two women were charged Tuesday after detectives reviewed the video. The sheriff’s office said neither woman had a criminal record.
“Due to the fall, the child is unable to stand or place weight on his left foot and leg,” the sheriff’s office said.
Time of Wonder co-owner Bianca D’Andria said the employees had been investigated.
“The teachers have all the records, the FBI records, everything was clean,” D’Andria told WFLA. “I feel embarrassed. It’s like it happened in my house. I trained these people. I pay them what they want. I give them a good environment to work in.”
She said there are 16 cameras at the daycare and that, although the footage is not monitored at all times, parents can access the tapes upon request.
After this incident, she said she has plans to provide remote access to the video to parents.
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