A daycare worker in Florida was arrested after four 1-year-old boys in her care all suffered broken legs on the same day, officials said.
The children, between the ages of 13 and 21 months, were healthy when they were dropped off at Kids Discovery Learning Center in Valpraiso, parents told the Northwest Florida Daily News.
“Upon returning to pick them up in the afternoon, the children were showing signs of distress and could not stand or walk,” a police report said.
The children all had fractured legs, reported the Daily News.
According to surveillance footage, the daycare worker, Christina Marie Curtis, was walking with one of the victims, a 16-month-old, while holding his hands above his head.
“The defendant stopped and quickly moved her hands to (his) upper arms and rapidly jerked him into the air,” the report stated, the News-Herald reported. “When (he) was picked up, his feet and legs were in the air and was dropped feet first into a wagon. Other children were placed in the wagon and it was pulled outside.”
The video also showed that after the child awoke from a nap after the wagon incident, a “teacher attempted to place him on his feet, however, (he) was unable to bear weight on his legs.”
The teacher then told Curtis to contact the front desk of the daycare about the injury.
Curtis, 25, was arrested July 20 and was charged with four felony counts of neglect of a child that resulted in great bodily harm, according to court records published online. She posted $4,000 bond and was released.
She was banned from being around children without supervision.
“The defendant denied knowing how the injuries occurred and believed they could have happened either at home or in the playground,” the arrest report said, according to the News-Herald. “She has observed several children fall out of playground cars or other items.”
A mother of one of the hurt boys told the news outlet that her son had other signs of neglect, including dirt in his hair.
“His balance is still a little funny, but I believe that will get better soon,” the mother, who was not identified, was quoted as saying.
Another Daycare Incident
A 2-year-old boy who died after being left in a van outside a Florida daycare has been identified as Noah Sneed.
Sneed was found dead outside Ceressa’s Daycare & Preschool in Oakland Park on July 29, WPLG reported.
“Detectives confirmed the toddler had been transported in the van to the facility Monday morning,” Broward Sheriff Office spokeswoman Keyla Concepcion said.
**NOW- Vigil held for 2 Year old Noah Sneed who was found dead inside a daycare van on Monday. @nbc6 pic.twitter.com/yrTlcIDHhL
— Darryl Forges (@DarrylNBC6) July 31, 2019
Noah was declared dead after 3:30 p.m. when paramedics arrived.
His cause of death will be officially determined after the Broward County Medical Examiner’s Office carries out an autopsy.
“Investigators are continuing to interview daycare employees and other witnesses to determine the circumstances that led to the death,” Concepcion told the station.
A Broward County official told the Florida Sun-Sentinel that Noah was one of seven children who was picked up by the daycare’s van. A worker found him at around 3:30 p.m. on a day where temperatures reached above 90 F.
“I don’t feel sane right now.” Tony Bell, his father, told the paper. “I lost my son.”
