A Florida daycare worker has been arrested after police say she violently abused a 3-month-old baby in her care, leaving the infant with devastating injuries.
LaKayla E. Hamilton is facing aggravated child abuse charges after the baby was rushed to HCA Florida Gulf Coast Hospital in Panama City on Wednesday, May 13.
Medical staff contacted authorities after the infant arrived with a fractured skull, fractured leg, fractured ribs, and a brain bleed, according to the Bay County Sheriff’s Office.
Investigators said the baby suffered the injuries earlier that day while at daycare under Hamilton’s supervision.
At first, police said Hamilton denied knowing how the child had been hurt. But during a follow-up interview, authorities said she admitted to assaulting the infant.
According to the sheriff’s office, Hamilton confessed that she had arrived at work already upset over personal issues. Then she received a text message that allegedly made her even angrier.
Police said she admitted that she took that rage out on the baby.
Hamilton allegedly told investigators she repeatedly slammed the infant into a crib and a changing table. Authorities said she also admitted to squeezing the child, shaking him, and hitting him in the head with toys in an attempt to stop him from crying.
The sheriff’s office said Hamilton also described a second incident later that same day, where she allegedly abused the infant again in the same way.
Even more disturbing, police said Hamilton could not give an exact number of times she assaulted the baby because of the level of rage she claimed to be feeling.
Investigators said the infant’s injuries were so catastrophic that the child could have died without quick action from the parents, who immediately sought medical help.
Hamilton was booked into the Bay County Jail on Thursday, May 14. She is charged with two counts of aggravated child abuse, and her bond was set at $210,000, according to public records.
The investigation is still ongoing.
The horrifying case has left parents shaken and furious, especially because the alleged abuse happened in a place where a baby was supposed to be safe, protected, and cared for.
Anyone who suspects child abuse can contact the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-422-4453. The hotline is available 24/7 and all calls are confidential.
Yeah, she’d better hope I didn’t catch her alone. She deserves the exact same treatment as what she did to that baby. She should stay in prison and be beaten daily. Monster. And where on earth were the other workers? Did she have a daycare in her home?