Red, Purple Marks On Child's Face Prompts Daycare Investigation

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RICHARDSON (CBSDFW.COM) - Visible purple and red marks resembling a hand on a toddler's face have prompted a daycare investigation in Richardson.

"His swelling and stuff has started to go down… this doesn't look like a 2-year-old could've done this," said Elizabeth O'Rear, 21, about the marks on her 18-month-old son Dakota's face.

The painful-looking red marks are still visible three days later after O'Rear picked up Dakota from Armadillos To Zebras day care on W Spring Valley Road in Richardson.

"He was crying and his teacher was like 'I think the little boy hit him' and I was like 'OK'… but his face was red and looked like he was hit hard," she said.

O'Rear eventually took her son to a nearby emergency room and contacted Richardson Police to file a complaint. She now believes the day care's explanation that Dakota was struck by another small child doesn't make sense. The red imprint is large enough to have only come from an adult's hand, according to O'Rear.

"It started to look more like a hand and I called my mom and I told her this sort of looks funny to me," she said.

CBS11 contacted a Armadillos To Zebras employee who promised to provide a response to the situation by Thursday.

O'Rear has received both support and criticism since posting her son's photos along with her concerns on Facebook,

"I don't want people to be punished that don't need to be punished and if nobody really did hit him... Well, I just want the truth to come out," said O'Rear.

Dakota's mother said barring an acceptable explanation, her son will not return to the daycare.

Richardson Police did not respond to our request for a comment.

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