A 28-year-old individual named Keoni Breneaja Ellis was taken into custody yesterday and faces charges of child abuse without great bodily harm, following accusations of pinching a three-year-old and pulling him by his ear and shoulder.
On September 11, around 1:37 p.m., a Deputy from the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office arrived at the CHILD Center for Early Learning located at 820 SW 62nd Terrace. This visit was in response to an investigation by the Department of Children and Families regarding a claim of child abuse, involving an employee of the daycare center.
A three-year-old child was in a classroom alongside other two- and three-year-olds diagnosed with autism and various behavioral challenges, while Ellis was said to be working with the child in that setting.
The deputy stated that footage from the surveillance camera captured the victim participating in playful antics with a fellow student; it is claimed that Ellis then approached the victim, crouched in front of him, and pinched him in the groin and upper thigh region. The footage allegedly depicts the individual retreating from Ellis while rubbing his upper thigh; he subsequently moves back further and “sits with his legs crossed, suggesting he is experiencing discomfort.”
Shortly after, the footage allegedly captures Ellis nearing the victim once more, where he is once again involved in playful antics with another student. Ellis reportedly seized the victim “by what seems to be his ear and shoulder” and pulled him away from the other student. The individual appears to be touching his face; it has been reported that Ellis instructed the individual to sit against the wall, distancing him from other students.
Following the incident, Ellis allegedly stated that she did not engage in any physical interaction with the victim on September 11 and that her approach to disciplining children varies based on individual behavior in each situation. It has been stated that the mother of the victim granted her consent to discipline the victim by pinching him.
Upon viewing the footage of the event, Ellis allegedly refuted claims of pinching the victim or pulling him by his ear. She mentioned that she just rested her hand on the victim’s leg and softly told him that she would “take care of his mother for his misbehavior.”
The individual allegedly sustained slight injuries to his left arm and the side of his neck.
In 2016, Ellis faced arrest for shoplifting and completed a deferred prosecution agreement, leading to the dismissal of the charges. She is no longer in custody at the Alachua County Jail.