According to the police officials, an employee at a day care center for children was arrested after police say she was caught on surveillance camera footage picking up a 1-year-old child and dropping him on the floor, causing him to break his leg. Authorities say the woman later hit the same child in the head. the 51-year-old woman was arrested on Tuesday. She was arrested on charges of aggravated child abuse causing great bodily harm, child abuse and battery.
While working at the Time of Wonder Daycare Academy, right after 8 a.m. on Sept. 8, the woman, Yamirka Menendez, was filmed removing the toddler from a mechanical swing, swinging the child and then dropping the child to the floor. Police say the boy was unable to stand upright or place weight on his left foot and leg.
Police say the footage reveals that the woman from Florida intentionally dropped the child. Another employee standing about four feet away appears to witness the incident. Around 12:15 p.m. the footage reveals the woman striking the same child in the head. Around 1:08, the video shows Melendez feeding a different child who is four-months-old. She is shown feeding the child who was sitting on her lap when she slapped the child several times.
The mother of the 1-year-old boy who was dropped noticed that her child is experiencing pain in his left foot. So, the mom took the toddler to a Hospital. The 1-year-old boy was diagnosed with fractures to his tibia and fibula. The 1-year-old child was examined on Sept. 23 by a medical team at the University of South Florida’s Child Protection Team, who determined that the injuries to the child’s leg were likely the result of physical abuse. The medical team then sent a report to the sheriff’s office.
The other employee, Milagros Rodriguez, who witnessed Menendez dropping and hitting the children, was also arrested on Tuesday and charged with one count of failure to report child abuse. This incident remains under investigation. This is a developing story and it will be updated as new information become available.