A daycare employee in Florida was arrested after she was accused of violently assaulting an infant in her care after having personal issues that were exacerbated by a text message.
The Bay County Sheriff’s Office said in a Facebook statement that officers reported to HCA Florida Gulf Coast Hospital in Panama City on Wednesday, May 13, after medical staff reported that a 3-month-old child was brought in with a fractured skull, fractured leg, fractured ribs and a brain bleed.
An investigation was launched into the matter, which revealed that the infant allegedly sustained the injuries while at a daycare earlier that day. It was eventually determined that the child was under the supervision of employee LaKayla E. Hamilton at the time of the alleged assault.
Police said that Hamilton initially “denied any knowledge of how the child was injured,” though she later admitted to assaulting the infant and said she repeatedly slammed him into a crib.
“Hamilton confessed that after arriving at work already upset by personal issues and receiving an additional text message that intensified her anger, she directed that rage toward the infant,” according to the police department’s statement.
Hamilton admitted to slamming the child into both a crib and a changing table several times, and she also said she squeezed him, shook him and struck him in the head with toys “in attempts to stop him from crying.”
Additionally, Hamilton allegedly said she abused the infant “again in the same manner” during a second incident on that same day.
“She was unable to provide an exact number of times she assaulted the child due to the level of rage she described experiencing,” the department said.
Investigators said that the child sustained “catastrophic injuries” that could have led to his death if it were not for “the swift action of the child’s parents in seeking immediate medical treatment.”
Following the initial investigation, Hamilton was arrested and booked at the Bay County Jail on two counts of aggravated child abuse on Thursday, May 14. Her bond was set at $210,000, according to public Bay County records viewed by Us Weekly.
It is not currently clear if Hamilton has entered a plea or retained legal counsel following her arrest. The Bay County Sheriff’s Office did not immediately respond to Us’ request for comment regarding updates in the case.
The investigation into the allegations made against Hamilton remains ongoing.
If you or someone you know is experiencing child abuse, call or text Child Help Hotline at 1-800-422-4453.
