Former Scottdale daycare worker accused of assaulting 4-year-old child
A former daycare worker has been charged after police say she assaulted a 4-year-old at a Scottdale, Westmoreland County, daycare center earlier this month.
Krista Ondish, 58, was charged with aggravated assault of a victim younger than 6, simple assault and endangering the welfare of children, Scottdale police said via a news release from the Westmoreland County District Attorney's Office.
Police said they began investigating after the victim's mother reported that the child was assaulted on Sept. 5 at New Hope Childcare Center and Preschool. The mother told officers that she learned the worker was no longer employed at the daycare and asked the director about the incident.
The director showed the mother a video from inside the daycare. The footage appeared to show the worker pinning the victim in a corner, allowing another child to hit the victim, and shoving the victim to the ground, according to police.
The victim's mother was upset that police were not called about the incident, and a report to ChildLine was not made.
While the daycare reported the incident to the parent, police say New Hope downplayed what had happened and gave the mother misleading information.
Police also say that it was the child who reported the abuse to their parent, who then confronted the daycare center and got police involved.
Officers responded to the daycare, later viewed the recording and reported seeing the worker push the child with both hands, causing them to lie motionless before being shoved again. Another employee provided a statement to the daycare, saying the force of the child hitting the ground caused a teacher in another room to hear it.
Scottdale Assistant Police Chief Matthew Zelenak says they cannot yet release that video to the public.
"Very disturbing, very upsetting. Being a parent and a parent that had a child in daycare, I think that when you send your child to daycare, you think that they are going to be cared for the same way you would care for them. It was very disturbing to see what happened that day," Assistant Chief Zelenak said.
Assistant Chief Zelenak says that they have never had an incident with this daycare before, and he said that this alleged incident should serve as a warning to all parents.
"Be diligent with where you pick to send your child and with who you choose to watch your child. Make sure they are vetted, make sure you trust where you are sending your child and listen to your child. If your child says something, don't blow it off, no matter how minor. Your children are smarter than you think."
Police said the daycare fired Ondish after the incident. The child has been withdrawn from the daycare since the alleged assault.
Ondish was arraigned and released on $50,000 bail. She is due back in district court on Wednesday, Oct. 1.