A Texas daycare owner is facing a felony charge after police say surveillance video showed her physically forcing one 2-year-old girl to bite another toddler on the arm.
Jennifer Ann Garrett, 46, owner of Gracious Beginnings Day Care in Hubbard, was arrested Sept. 15 and charged with injury to a child, a third-degree felony, according to court records and local reporting. She has since posted bond and remains free while the case moves forward.
The alleged incident happened Aug. 26 on the daycare’s playground.
According to an arrest affidavit reviewed by KWTX, investigators obtained video that allegedly shows Garrett taking hold of one toddler’s arm while placing her other hand on the back of a second child’s head. Police say she then pushed the second girl’s head downward while lifting the first child’s arm toward her mouth.
Authorities allege Garrett continued holding the first child’s arm in place while the other girl bit her between the wrist and elbow.
The affidavit says Garrett only released the second child’s head after the bite occurred.
Investigators also described the alleged reaction of the child who was made to bite the other toddler. According to the affidavit, she pulled back and raised both hands toward the sides of her head as though she was upset.
Police say Garrett then kept hold of the other child’s arm and quickly walked her to another area of the playground.
The affidavit does not specify whether the bite caused a visible or lasting injury.
Garrett is charged with injury to a child, which is a third-degree felony in Texas in this case. If convicted, she could face up to 10 years in prison. The charge is an allegation, and she has not been convicted.
The Texas Department of Family and Protective Services is also investigating the incident, Hill County District Attorney Mark Pratt told KWTX.
Gracious Beginnings is a licensed child-care center in Hubbard, about 30 miles northeast of Waco. Public licensing information lists the facility as serving infants, toddlers, preschoolers and school-age children, with capacity for up to 92 children.
Garrett’s next court date was not immediately available in the reports reviewed.
