Maryland Daycare Worker Arrested Following Allegations of Child Abuse
District Heights, Maryland – A 21-year-old daycare worker, Latayzia Forbes, was arrested on Friday, August 18, 2023, after allegations of child abuse emerged. The incident reportedly occurred at the Morning Star Childcare Center on Marlboro Pike on Thursday, August 17, where Forbes was employed. The arrest follows a disturbing incident captured on surveillance cameras, where Forbes is seen engaging in physical contact with a child.
Niya Jones, the mother of the 7-year-old victim, discovered her daughter’s bruises when picking her up from the childcare center. Concerned and distressed, Jones immediately sought answers from the center’s staff. Surveillance footage revealed a troubling scene – Forbes pushing the child and at one point, pinning her to the floor.
The Prince George’s County Police Child and Vulnerable Adult Abuse Unit responded to the incident, conducting a thorough investigation that led to Forbes’ arrest. She now faces charges of second-degree child abuse and second-degree assault.
For Jones, the incident has been deeply unsettling. She recounted her initial distress upon discovering her daughter’s bruises, saying, “I felt like she was protected. I didn’t feel like staff was doing their job to communicate or to let me know what’s going on at all.”
Upon reviewing the surveillance footage, it was evident that the altercation had been recorded. The footage showed Forbes forcefully interacting with the 7-year-old victim, even pulling her to another area. Additional angles of the incident revealed Forbes allegedly pinning the child to the floor.
Maryland daycare worker caught on camera abusing 7-year-oldSurveillance video at the Maryland daycare facility showed 21-year-old Latayzia Forbes forcing the girl to the floor pic.twitter.com/bfCtaXvHRZ
— Paul Kang (@LPaulKang) August 20, 2023
Lexus Austin, the daycare’s manager, confirmed that Forbes was swiftly terminated after an internal review and a chance for Forbes to present her side of the story. It’s reported that Forbes defended her actions, suggesting she believed she had done nothing wrong.
The victim’s aunt, Lataysha Reynolds, expressed concerns about the incident, questioning whether this behavior was consistent with Forbes’ character and if other children had potentially been harmed. Reynolds asked, “What other children have been harmed, and the parents have not found out about it?”
Authorities have disclosed that Forbes had been working at the daycare since 2021, with no prior record of abuse claims against her. She has since been taken into custody by the Prince George’s County Department of Corrections for further processing.
The incident has raised questions about the safety and oversight of childcare centers, prompting community members to demand transparency and accountability. As the legal process unfolds, concerns about the wellbeing of children under the care of daycare providers come to the forefront.
