INDIAN RIVER COUNTY, Fla. — A day care worker in Indian River County was arrested this week after hitting a child on the head with a shoe, the sheriff's office said.
A deputy and a child protective investigator with the Florida Department of Children and Families arrived at World Class Academy, located at 1285 Sixth Avenue near Vero Beach, on Monday to investigate the claim.
According to a probable cause affidavit, video recorded on Friday at the day care showed Olivia Lynnae Tyree, 25, use her shoe, described as a "jet-black 'Croc' shoe,'" to strike a child.
The report said that the video showed Tyree came into a classroom that was not hers and held her shoe in her hand.
Tyree then pointed the shoe at a child and aggressively walked toward them, the affidavit said. As Tyree got closer, the child looked up and begin to flinch, attempting to protect their face.
Investigators said Tyree then raised the shoe, reaching back "as if she is going to hammer a nail," and with "full force" struck the child on top of the head.
"Olivia then kept going in this physical altercation by grabbing (redacted) by the arm and dragging (redacted) approximately 10 yards...," the report said.
When approaching a bed for nap time, the affidavit said Tyree threw the child on the bed and ground while also pushing the student "face-first into the bed in a malicious manner."
The video showed the child on the bed crying, the report said. After allowing the child to lie on the bed momentarily, the report said Tyree then picked the child up again, dragging the student out of the room.
Tyree denied striking the child with her shoe and told the deputies she was just trying to scare the student.
The gender and age of the child were redacted from the incident report.
Deputies arrested Tyree on one count of child abuse. She was released from the Indian River County jail on Tuesday after posting $5,000 bail.
