A North Carolina daycare worker is facing serious charges after a disturbing incident left a young child with a broken leg.
Ashley Nicole Taris, 24, a former employee at a KinderCare facility in Raleigh, has been charged with felony child abuse inflicting serious bodily injury, according to court records.
Investigators say the incident happened on August 22, 2025, at a daycare location on Mitchell Mill Road. According to a warrant, the child told authorities he was hurt while being pulled into a “criss-cross applesauce” seated position.
The result was a severe injury—a spiral fracture of the tibia, a type of break often associated with twisting force. Medical findings reportedly matched the child’s account of what happened.
Following the incident, state regulators stepped in. Taris was officially disqualified from providing child care in November 2025, according to court documents filed in Wake County.
KinderCare confirmed she is no longer employed and has not worked at the center since October 2025. The company said it immediately notified the child’s family and appropriate authorities after the incident.
“At KinderCare, the safety and well-being of the children in our care is always our top priority,” a spokesperson said.
According to reports, Taris was initially allowed to remain in the classroom under a safety plan, but state licensing officials later ordered her removal while the investigation continued.