MARION COUNTY, Fla. — A day care worker from Summerfield was detained Monday on multiple child abuse charges after investigators reviewed surveillance footage from a nearby learning center.
Major Crimes detectives from the Marion County Sheriff’s Office have charged 31-year-old Laura Flores with three counts of child abuse after a two-week investigation.
The case started on February 13, 2026, at Bright Beginnings Learning Center in Marion County. Deputies arrived at the center to assist the Department of Children and Families following reports of a child’s injury.
During the initial response to the facility, deputies examined surveillance footage from the classroom. The video captured Flores forcibly lifting a child and tossing them onto a mat. Major Crimes detectives were informed of this finding and took over the investigation.
As they continued reviewing the surveillance footage, detectives also identified more incidents involving two other children.
One part of the footage reportedly showed Flores hitting a child on the back of the head. Another segment recorded Flores kicking a child, leading to the child falling face-first onto the floor.
Investigators noted multiple distinct incidents in the recordings. Flores was seen hitting a child in the abdomen and putting her foot on a child lying on the floor during nap time. In another case, she was observed swaddling a child and then slapping the child’s face.
After the investigation, detectives took Flores into custody on February 23, 2026. She was then transferred to Marion County Jail and is currently being held without bond.
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