A woman was taken into custody last week in Naples, Collier County, Florida, on charges of physically abusing a child at her daycare center. Deysi Acosta, 54, was arrested on Tuesday after the victim's mother provided the Collier County Sheriff's Office with footage of the abuse. The video, captured on an iPad, was recorded by another family whose daughter also attends the daycare.
According to the sheriff's office, the footage showed Acosta aggressively spanking an 11-month-old baby six times on the right leg and buttocks while changing the child’s diaper. When confronted by the child's mother, Acosta denied that the baby in the footage was her son and claimed it was her nephew.
Initial Incident and Evidence Gathering
The first alleged incident occurred in July, but the family was unsure if it constituted abuse, as Acosta had said the child had merely scratched himself. In September, more videos were sent to the baby's mother.
In the video, the girl recording can be heard saying she is hiding the iPad to show the evidence to the police. Investigators reported that Acosta can be heard yelling and cursing at the baby, calling him a "wild horse." The authorities stated that the arrest report included Acosta shouting the child's name and using profanities in Spanish.
Legal Proceedings and Bail Conditions
A judge determined there was probable cause during Acosta's initial court appearance. She faces charges of child abuse without causing great bodily harm. Judge Deborah Cunningham ruled that, as a condition of her bail, Acosta is prohibited from contacting the child or the child's mother and cannot have unsupervised contact with any minors.
Acosta's public defender requested a standard bail amount, while the state asked for $5,000. However, the judge set the bail at $10,000. Acosta's family was present in court but declined to comment.
Acosta is scheduled to appear in court again on October 14 for her arraignment.