Inset: Laura Flores. Background: Flores during her arrest for allegedly abusing three 13-month-old children at a Florida day care (Marion County Sheriff's Office).
A Florida day care worker was arrested after she allegedly kicked, hit and slapped three 13-month-old children when she became frustrated because they were not falling asleep during nap time.
Laura Flores, 31, faces three counts of child cruelty without great bodily harm. According to a probable cause arrest affidavit obtained by Law&Crime, Flores worked for Bright Beginnings Learning Center in Summerfield, which is near Ocala.
Deputies with the Marion County Sheriff's Office responded to the day care on Feb. 13 after a child suffered bruising and abrasions on both of his cheeks two days prior, which were not there when his mother dropped him off. When confronted about the injuries, Flores allegedly said the boy "fell off a piano."
Video from the classroom told a different story. It showed Flores was "aggressive" with the victim when she was trying to put him down for a nap, the affidavit stated. Flores said in text messages with the boy's mother that "it wasn't fair to the other children" that he wasn't staying asleep.
"It was also noted the suspect's own child was in the class and the suspect appeared to become frustrated about having to leave her own child to deal with the other children in the classroom," deputies wrote.
Video allegedly showed Flores kicking the victim, causing him to fall on his face. When the other kids were sleeping, Flores slapped the boy and put her foot on top of him to stop him from moving, according to cops.
"She also aggressively jerks him up and shoves him back onto the mat several times," the affidavit stated.
There were other alleged victims as well. Flores slapped a girl in the stomach and was "jerking her up off the mat after she continued to move around during nap time." She also hit a second boy in the back of the head and walked away with him while holding him by one arm, deputies wrote.
"The strikes to the three 13-month-old victims were intentional, without an apparent legitimate purpose" and could result in injuries to the children, cops wrote.
Prishawna Smith, a mother of one of the victims, told local Fox affiliate WOFL she was stunned when she learned Flores was allegedly responsible for her son's injuries.
"The anger in me wants her behind bars. I want her to have to sit and think about what she's done. But ultimately, God is going to deal with her," she told the TV station.
Flores was arrested on Monday and has since posted a $15,000 bond. Her next court date is set for March 31.