Daycare worker in Florida facing child abuse charges

SUMMERFIELD, Fla. (CNN, KYMA) - A daycare worker in Central Florida is facing child abuse charges after video allegedly showed her abusing children at the Bright Beginnings Learning Center in Summerfield.

WESH 2 Investigates has been digging into the background of 31-year-old Laura Flores, following her arrest on three felony charges of cruelty to a child without great bodily harm.

She was working at Bright Beginnings Learning Center in Summerfield, which provided investigators with the Florida Department of Children and Families, and the Marion County Sheriff's Office (MCSO), with security video from the class room, appearing to show Flores grabbing, pushing, striking and even stepping on toddlers.

"Kind of shoved his head down to kind of force him to lay down," said Shantel Smith, the grandmother of one of Flores' alleged victims.

Smith is still stunned that someone entrusted with that responsibility could endanger children in that way.

"It's a lot that we don't know. There's a lot we don't know. And it's disturbing. It's just disturbing," Smith expressed.

WESH 2 News reviewed some of the surveillance video from Flores's classroom recorded February 11.

One clip appears to show Flores putting her foot on a child lying on the floor while another shows her grabbing a child by the arm, then swinging the toddler, and hitting the child on the side of the head. Another part of the video shows a child being struck in the head, and then falling.

"You know, it's always heartbreaking when a child is hurt especially by someone who is supposed to care for them. and she was arrested and taken straight to our jail because we will not tolerate people hurting our children," said Valerie Strong with MCSO.

The owner, Joshua W. Henry, told WESH 2 Investigates, "We immediately reviewed the surveillance footage, terminated Ms. Flores' employment that same morning and reported the matter in accordance with mandatory reporting requirements. From the moment the concern was raised, Ms. Flores was not permitted to return to the classroom or the center."

A review of the daycare's most recent inspections shows the facility was compliant in every category and on February 6, had seven staff members for 47 children.

A review of court records indicates this is the first arrest for flores.