NAPLES, Fla. (WFLA) — Video captured on a young girl’s iPad led to the arrest of a home day care operator after the woman was seen beating a baby, according to an arrest report.
On Sept. 11, Collier County deputies were notified of six videos that showed 54-year-old Deysi Acosta, of Naples, “aggressively and powerfully” spanking a 1-year-old baby.
WATCH: Pair of thieves fall through ceiling during robbery, steal nearly $150K The video, originally taken on July 18, depicted Acosta striking the then-11-month-old on his right leg and buttocks area multiple times.
According to the arrest document, the baby had been at the home day care for 3-4 months. It was only two months in when the mother of the child noticed black and blue marks on the baby’s upper right thigh.
Acosta “seemed scared” when the child’s dad picked him up that day, telling the father that the baby scratched his leg.
On Sept. 9, a mother of another child at the day care told officials she was looking through her daughter’s iPad when she saw a video of Acosta “forcefully spanking” and yelling at the baby. The report said the child who took the video appears to be 6 to 8 years old.
On Tuesday, the mother of the baby sent detectives additional videos, where Acosta is heard yelling in Spanish at the infant, saying he was behaving badly and is an untrained, savage horse, the report said.
‘My heart kind of dropped’: Gun found on Hillsborough school campus, parents take concerns to the school board Description of the videos revealed that Acosta spanked the baby nearly six times, so aggressively that “loud cracking sounds” were heard as she struck the infant. The infant is heard crying and screaming.
In another video, the young girl who captured the abuse is heard saying she is hiding the camera so she could show police, before mentioning to another child that the baby was being abused.
The report said Acosta was heard saying several phrases including— “Calm yourself, you’re like a savage horse,” “Hey you’re not a horse,” “You’re so spoiled,” and “Boy, f***, like this is your first day here.”
When the mom sent Acosta the video of her spanking the child, Acosta denied it was the mother’s baby, and instead said it was her own nephew.
The arrest re[prt said Acosta was striking the baby out of anger and frustration, and not to correct his behavior, as he was only 11 months old at the time.
Acosta was arrested Tuesday on a charge of child abuse without great bodily harm. Her arraignment is scheduled for Oct. 14.
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