Florida Day Care Worker Admits To Beating 3-Month-Old Over Text
Florida Day Care Worker Says She ‘Spazzed Out’ Over Text Message After 3-Month-Old Suffers Fractures To Leg, Ribs, & Skull
Florida daycare worker LaKayla E. Hamilton has been charged with two counts of Aggravated Child Abuse after allegedly assaulting a 3-month-old infant in her care at a daycare facility in Florida.
Source: Bay County Sheriff’s Office / LaKayla E. Hamilton is accused of assaulting a 3-month-old infant at a Florida day care.
Florida daycare worker LaKayla Hamilton has been charged with two counts of Aggravated Child Abuse after allegedly assaulting a 3-month-old infant in her care at a daycare facility on School Avenue in Florida. WDHN &Law & Crime, reported the facility was Quality Learning Child Care Center, Inc. in Panama City, Florida. According to a May 16 Facebook update from the Bay County Sheriff’s Office, Hamilton allegedly admitted she “spazzed out” on the infant because of “personal issues and receiving an additional text message that intensified her anger.”
Authorities said the investigation began on May 13 after deputies responded to Gulf Coast Hospital – HCA, where medical staff reported a 3-month-old infant had arrived with severe and suspicious injuries. Doctors observed swelling on the back of the child’s head consistent with a skull fracture, as well as extensive bruising to the ear, face, and forehead. A CT scan later confirmed the infant suffered multiple skull fractures and a fractured leg. Additional examinations also revealed fractured ribs and a brain bleed.
LaKayla Hamilton allegedly admitted to taking her anger out on the 3-month-old infant, Florida authorities say.
Due to the seriousness of the injuries, the Bay County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigations Division immediately launched an investigation, interviewing family members, daycare employees, and caregivers. Investigators determined Hamilton was the sole caregiver supervising the infant at the time of the incident.
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During her initial interview, Hamilton denied knowing how the child was injured. However, during a follow-up interview at the Sheriff’s Office, she allegedly admitted to investigators that she had “spazzed out” on the infant.
According to investigators, Hamilton said she arrived at work already upset over personal issues and became angrier after receiving a text message. She allegedly admitted to taking that anger out on the infant by repeatedly slamming the child into his crib and onto a changing table, striking him in the head with toys, squeezing him, and shaking him in an attempt to stop him from crying. Hamilton also reportedly told investigators there was a second incident later that day in which she abused the infant again in a similar manner.
Investigators said Hamilton admitted she slammed the infant into the crib multiple times with such force that she could hear the child’s head hitting the crib frame beneath the mattress. She reportedly could not recall exactly how many times she assaulted the child because of the level of rage she said she was experiencing.
Authorities believe the 3-month-old infant may not have survived without the quick actions of the child’s parents in seeking immediate medical attention. Investigators also determined the child had not been injured prior to being dropped off at the daycare facility.
LaKayla Hamilton was arrested on May 14 and charged with two counts of Aggravated Child Abuse, according to the Bay County Sheriff’s Office online database. She was also charged with smuggling contraband into a prison after allegedly attempting to bring a marijuana vape into the jail, according to Law & Crime. She was booked into the Bay County Jail on a $2 million bond. Her next court date is scheduled for June 15. The investigation remains ongoing.
