A person working in a nursery has been arrested for allegedly mistreating a disabled child under their care, according to law enforcement officials. Shocking video footage shows Kaitlyn Pitzer, aged 36, applying hand sanitizer to wounds on the child’s arms and teasing them by smearing icing on their face. Pitzer has been terminated from her position at the daycare center.
Authorities state that surveillance footage captures Pitzer and another assistant attempting to bandage the child’s forehead while the child was seated on the floor. When the child moved, Pitzer forcefully pushed the child’s forehead, causing a violent and excessive reaction from the child, as per the police report.
Shortly after, it is alleged that Pitzer teased the child with a piece of cake, prompting the child to reach for it and get icing on their finger. Subsequently, the accused individual from Florida reportedly grabbed the child’s finger and used it to spread icing on the child’s face. She then aggressively smeared more icing from the floor onto the child’s forehead, according to the Hernando County Sheriff’s Office.
During an interview with deputies, Pitzer claimed she found the icing incident amusing at the time. The surveillance footage indicates Pitzer forcefully wiping the icing off the distressed child’s face with a paper towel.
Following this, Pitzer took the child to a hand sanitizer dispenser, where she applied hand sanitizer to wounds on the child’s arms, causing the child distress and prompting them to move away from her, according to the sheriff’s office.
Authorities spoke with the child’s parent, who expressed serious concerns after viewing the surveillance footage. The parent mentioned that the force used by Pitzer could have resulted in severe injury due to the child’s pre-existing medical conditions. The Miami Herald reported that the injuries, which were in the process of healing, began bleeding again following the incident.
The incident occurred at Tender Care PPEC in Spring Hill. Deputies revealed that the facility’s administration had suspicions that Pitzer had mistreated a child while employed there. Pitzer has been charged with one count of child abuse, confirmed by the sheriff’s office.
On October 9, Pitzer was apprehended at her residence. Authorities stated that she admitted to feeling frustrated and behaving inappropriately. Pitzer is currently detained at the Hernando County Detention Center on a $5,000 (£3,713) bond, according to reports.