Inset: Latoya Gaines (Bay County Sheriff's Office). Background: The area outside the Florida daycare where Latoya Gaines allegedly punched a 10-year-old girl in the face during a dispute over a bathroom (Google Map).
A Florida mother is accused of punching a 10-year-old girl in the face because she thought the child was hogging a daycare bathroom and she wanted her daughter to use it, according to police.
Latoya Gaines, 48, of Panama City, showed up at the Bay County daycare facility on April 24 to pick up her 5-year-old daughter and another child of hers when she "became involved in an altercation with [the victim] regarding the use of a single-occupant restroom," according to an arrest affidavit.
"Gaines demanded [the victim] exit the restroom so Gaines could use it with her child," the affidavit alleges. "[The victim] requested Gaines wait her turn, at which point the altercation escalated."
Police say Gaines "intentionally struck" the 10-year-old girl in the face with a closed fist, causing "visible bruising" around the child's eye. Gaines then left the facility and area on foot with her two daughters.
Witnesses who were at the daycare facility "corroborated the reported incident" after the victim's mother came forward to report it, the affidavit says. Police went to Gaines' residence to try and make contact with her but she was not home.
Gaines was reached over the phone and she allegedly admitted to being involved in the "altercation inside the daycare," per the affidavit. "[The victim's mother] advised she wished to pursue charges," the document says.
A Facebook account with the name Latoya Gaines, from Panama City, wrote on April 29 that Gaines was innocent and being falsely accused.
"Everyone in this lil city where everyone knows everyone buisness [sic]….Did anyone stop & think about what was said & thought this is not the Latoya Gaines I know," the account wrote in all caps. "Because if you know me you would know without a doubt I did not do this…. I'm sure their [sic] are some people that are gonna say negative stuff cause that's what sone [sic] people would think but like I've I said if you know me then you would say to yourself this is not true It's a bold face Lie."
Gaines is facing a felony charge of child abuse. She is out on bond and due to be arraigned in Bay County on June 11.
The daycare did not respond to Law&Crime's requests for comment on Monday.