A former employee of a Louisiana day care has been arrested for child abuse following an investigation into the mistreatment of children at the facility.
Another former employee sent videos of the abuse to local TV station News 10 KLFY, showing child-care workers throwing slices of cheese at toddlers’ faces, taping them to a chair and intentionally frightening them to the point of tears.
“We do have the videos, and they’re very disturbing to watch,” said Eunice police chief Kyle LeBouef. “An innocent child shouldn’t have to go through that. Especially if someone put that child in someone else’s care.”
Police apprehended Alyssa Eve Dupre, 23, from Oakdale, on a felony warrant. She is facing six counts of cruelty to juveniles from her time as a former employee at Pumpkin Patch Daycare. Lebouef confirmed that the investigation is ongoing, and additional arrests are likely.
The video sent to local media is reportedly about two-and-a-half years old, but the chief emphasized that that won’t hinder the pursuit of additional charges, and there’s no statute of limitations.
“It’s by our understanding this could possibly be quite old. But that really doesn’t matter when it comes to criminal charges,” Lebouef said.
State authorities have taken the initiative to conduct their own investigation, KLFY reports.
According to records from the Louisiana Department of Education, the day care has been subjected to 15 inspections. Among these inspections, nine were found to have deficiencies.
The most recent inspection, in October 2022, did not reveal any deficiencies. However, during the inspection in the year prior, the records indicated that the day care was cited for failing to meet the requirements of maintaining indoor and outdoor areas free of hazards.
Last July, all staff members were cited for not having CPR certification as required when on the center’s premises and those with accessibility to…
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