A daycare worker in Lindale faces serious allegations of assaulting six young children a staggering 134 times over a span of several months.
Catherine Guziejka, 44, from Lindale, has been in custody at the Smith County Jail since October 30, facing six charges related to child injury. An arrest affidavit reveals that security footage captured her kicking toddlers in her care in more than 100 separate incidents since July.
The arrest report reveals that the inquiry into Guziejka was initiated after a colleague at Punkin’ Doodles Day Care in Lindale conducted a review of the surveillance footage. The report indicates that the woman witnessed Guziejka on video delivering a kick to a 2-year-old boy in the lower back. On October 23, the worker informed the boy’s father about the incident, leading him to reach out to the Smith County Sheriff’s Office.
A deputy started examining the footage from the daycare, and the arrest reports detail multiple incidents of a strikingly similar nature. In each instance, Guziejka administers a rapid strike to the lower back of a 2-year-old, prompting the child to cry out in distress and grasp the affected area, according to the documents.
The affidavit reveals that over 100 similar incidents involving six toddlers were captured in the surveillance footage, with the initial occurrence recorded in July.
Following the evidence collected at the daycare, an arrest warrant was issued on October 30, leading to Guziejka’s booking at the Smith County Jail. She is still in custody as of the latest update.
Melanie Dawn Law, the owner of Punkin’ Doodles Day Care, shared with KLTV that they have been collaborating with law enforcement on the investigation since it emerged on October 23.
Law stated that she terminated Guziejka on that day and promptly notified CPS and the Smith County Sheriff’s Office, as required by state law. As reported by Law, Guziejka faced initial charges of injuring a child on two counts, with four additional charges being filed subsequently.
The footage revealed a total of 134 incidents, according to the law.
According to Law, Guziejka was brought on board in September of the previous year, successfully completing all background checks and possessing the necessary training and qualifications.
The facility has been sold and is set to undergo a rebranding, with plans to reopen in December.
The Department of Family and Protective Services has announced that they are looking into the incidents to assess if any abuse took place. It has been stated that the findings will be submitted to the Texas Health and Human Services Commission upon the conclusion of the investigation.