A New Mexico day care employee has been fired after shocking video showing her violently rocking a baby surfaced and sparked outrage.
The worker at Eastern Child Development Center in Albuquerque was captured covering the baby girl's face with a blanket and then aggressively shaking her up and down in cell phone footage obtained by KOB News 4.
The 6-month-old girl was unharmed after being jolted about 10 times, her fuming mother told the local news station.
"I was shaking. I was so angry and hurt because I had never had any concerns about my daughter's teacher," said mom Ashley Tapia, who also works at the day care center. "She was always well-trusted and well-liked."
It's unclear if the worker, whose identity has not been released, has been charged since the Sept. 18 incident.
The state's Children, Youth and Families Department has temporarily shut down the facility as it investigates claims of multiple "maltreatment" cases in the center's infant room, according to KOB.
The closure reportedly sparked protests from parents who demanded it reopen.
KOB
A New Mexico day care employee was caught on camera covering a baby's face with a blanket and then violently rocking her.
"Our priority is the safety of the babies and children who attend Eastern Child Development Center," the agency's spokesman Henry Varela said in a statement.
"Based on the disturbing videos we have seen, we are not comfortable with children being at the facility until we have completed a more in-depth investigation into possible systemic issues," he added.
About 300 children attend the day care.
The terminated employee had worked there for more than five years.
"I asked her why. She said that she just had one bad day," said Hannah Tapia, the daycare's director. "We told her that wasn't acceptable behavior. She could have really hurt that baby."
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