Las Vegas, NV – An ex-employee at a Las Vegas daycare center, Karina Castillo, is facing a charge of child abuse following a distressing incident that resulted in a two-year-old child needing mouth surgery, according to a report from the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department.

The Incident:
On September 5th, at approximately 4 p.m., the mother of the victim arrived at the Crème de la Crème daycare center located on Farm Road to pick up her two-year-old son. To her horror, she discovered that her child’s mouth was injured, and there was blood on his upper lip, which his teacher was attempting to wipe off, as detailed in the report.

The teacher, identified as Karina Castillo, informed the mother that the child had fallen while standing on a toy crib. To the mother’s surprise, Castillo asked, “They didn’t call you?” indicating a lapse in communication.

The following morning, the mother noticed that her son’s tooth had been “pushed up into his gums.” Alarmed by this development, she promptly took him to a dentist for an emergency appointment. The dentist’s evaluation revealed that the child had experienced a “trauma fall” and required surgery to remove his two front teeth due to “infection and damage.”

Upon learning of the incident, the mother returned to the daycare to speak with the director, who had already taken action by writing up the teachers for “not paying attention to the children.”

The Investigation:
On September 8th, the daycare’s director provided the victim’s parents with video footage of the incident. The footage displayed the child standing on a baby doll crib, leaning forward over a single-shelf bookcase. In the video, Castillo can be seen approaching the child and forcefully pulling the bookshelf away from him. This action caused the child to collide with the bookshelf and face plant onto the floor, according to the report.

The director also informed police that Castillo had filled out an accident report related to the incident, falsely stating that the child had been “standing on a crib and fell and bit his upper lip.”

The director initially considered the incident “normal” because children occasionally experience accidents at the daycare. However, the mother’s concerns prompted a review of the footage, leading to Castillo’s termination.

Previous Incidents:
The victim’s mother revealed that her child had been enrolled at the daycare since May 2023 and had experienced multiple incidents that she reported to daycare management. She expressed concerns about how staff communicated with the children. Additionally, her son had been sent home with “soiled pants” and had suffered bites from other students, as noted in the report.

In July 2023, staff informed the mother that her son had tripped and fallen, injuring his lip. One of his teeth had turned gray in color, and a dentist confirmed “trauma” to his tooth from the fall.

The Arrest:
On October 12, detectives contacted Castillo by phone, but she declined to provide a statement, acting on advice from her family to seek legal representation. On October 14, Castillo’s lawyer contacted the police, agreeing to have her surrender herself ten days later.

On October 24, Castillo was taken into custody when she arrived at LVMPD headquarters with her attorney. She is now facing a charge of child abuse/neglect. Court records indicate that she was released from custody with a bail condition to stay out of trouble, and her next court appearance is scheduled for November 28. This incident serves as a sobering reminder of the importance of ensuring the safety and well-being of children in daycare centers.

Credit: 8 News Now