2 Des Plaines, Illinois daycare employees charged with battering 4- and 5-year-old children
Two employees of a Des Plaines, Illinois daycare center stood charged Tuesday with battering children.
Jessica Murillo, 36, of Morton Grove, and Izabella Thompson, 23, of Chicago — both employees of A Mother's Touch Daycare — were charged in connection with incidents that occurred between Nov. 3 and Nov. 19 last year, according to Des Plaines police.
On Nov. 20, a parent told directors of the daycare that a child had been sprayed in the face with water in a classroom, police said. The directors conducted an internal investigation and reviewed surveillance footage, contacted the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services, and suspended the two employees, police said.
Additional video evidence showed Murillo and Thompson battering multiple children in November, police said. On Nov. 24, directors and one of the children's parents filed a report with Des Plaines police.
A police investigation determined that seven boys, ages 4 and 5, were battered by either Murillo or Thompson in November of last year. Police said the nature of the contact varied, but none of the children were seriously injured or required medical attention.
Murillo was charged with three counts of aggravated battery and 12 misdemeanor counts of battery. Police allege that Murillo struck a child in the face with a notebook, dragged a 4-year-old boy across the floor with his foot and caused his head to strike the ground, and hitting a child in the face multiple times with an open hand.
Thompson was charged with four misdemeanor counts of battery, police said.
Murillo is to appear in Cook County Court in Skokie on Wednesday. Thompson is to appear at the same courthouse March 30.
Police said A Mother's Touch Daycare was cooperative throughout the investigation.
"Our hearts go out to the children and families affected by this troubling case," Des Plaines police Chief David Anderson said in a news release. "This was a painful breach of trust by individuals entrusted with the care of young children. I want to thank the directors and staff of A Mother's Touch Daycare for acting quickly, alerting authorities, and fully cooperating with our investigators."
