Day care worker rips hair from 1-year-old’s head, tries hiding it, Ohio officials say

A day care worker grabbed a 1-year-old girl by the hair before dragging her about 10 feet, then continued to “jerk the child back and forth,” Ohio officials say.

As she did so, authorities say 27-year-old Kristian Hemmitt ripped the toddler’s hair from her head.

Surveillance video captured the March 3 assault, according to a news release from Hamilton County Prosecutor Joseph T. Deters.

Hemmitt, who worked at Small Kids Adventures Learning Center in Cincinnati, then attempted to cover the victim’s bald spots and threw out the hair that had been ripped from the girl’s scalp, officials said.

Hemmitt was arrested on March 12 and held on a $130,000 bond, WXIX reported.

She was indicted on one count of felonious assault, two counts of child endangering and one court of tampering with evidence on March 22. If Hemmitt is convicted of all charges, she would face up to 11 years in prison.

An employee with Small Kids Adventures Learning Center said the day care does not have a statement regarding the incident or charges. Hemmitt’s defense attorney did not immediately respond to a request for comment from McClatchy News.

“This is every working parent’s nightmare,” Deters said in the news release. “To leave your child at a facility that is responsible for their care and to have this happen is sickening. There is simply no justification for why someone would do this to a 1-year-old baby.”

The Cincinnati Police Department is investigating if any other children were harmed by Hemmitt, according to the news release. Parents who believe their child may have been a victim are asked to call 513-263-8300.

This story was originally published March 23, 2022 at 11:49 AM with the headline "Day care worker rips hair from 1-year-old’s head, tries hiding it, Ohio officials say."