Daycare worker caught on camera abusing child, police say

‘I can understand that we are human, but I cannot understand that you ... behave like an animal,’ co-owner of facility says

A daycare worker in Florida was caught on camera allegedly abusing a child and has since been arrested and a co-worker is facing a charge for failing to report the episode.

Yamirka Menendez, 51, has been arrested and is facing child abuse charges after grabbing a 1-year-old boy by his wrists and picking him up three feet into the air before dropping him onto the floor. The boy suffered a fracture to his leg, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office said in a press release.

Ms Menendez has also been charged with “forcibly” taking hold of a 4-month-old and slapping the child multiple times at the Time of Wonder Academy in Tampa, Florida on 8 September.

Milagros Rodriguez, 52, has been charged with failing to report the abusive behaviour.

The Sheriff’s office said the mother of the 1-year-old boy noticed that her son suffered from pain in his left foot the next day. She took him to St Joseph’s Hospital where it was established that he had fractures in his tibia and fibula.

He was examined again on Thursday by staff at the University of South Florida Child Protection Team, who found that the boy had been physically abused.

The two women were charged on Tuesday after detectives reviewed the video footage. The Sheriff’s office said neither of the women had a criminal record.

“Due to the fall, the boy was unable to stand upright or place weight on his left foot and leg,” the Sheriff’s office said.

Time of Wonder Academy co-owner Bianca D’Andria said the employees had been vetted.

“The teachers have all the records, FBI records, everything was clean,” Ms 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 for work. That video is a nightmare. I can’t believe somebody can do that chat with a child.”

She said that there are 16 cameras at the daycare facility and that while the feeds are not monitored at all times, parents can have access to the tapes if they request it.

Following this incident, she said she has plans to provide remote video access to parents.

She added to Fox 13 Tampa Bay that she “spends more hours with these children than the parents”.

“I can understand that we are human, but I cannot understand that you ... behave like an animal,” she said.

She said she trusts the rest of her staff and that she hopes that the parents do as well.

“You guys, the parents, you are my eyes,” she told Fox 13. “Any little thing, I have to know, because we are here to protect children.”