MELBOURNE, Fla. – A teacher at a daycare in Melbourne was fired and arrested over the last week after fellow staff said she picked up a child and dropped him, according to police.
Savannah Keys, 20, was arrested on Sunday and faces a charge of child abuse without great bodily harm, records show.
Melbourne police responded on Thursday to Jelly Bean Junction along New York Avenue, meeting with the owner of the daycare and learning of what the staff told him the day prior, according to Keys’ probable cause affidavit.
The owner went on to say Keys was immediately pulled from the classroom that day as camera footage was reviewed, leading to Keys being placed on administrative leave and very soon terminated of her duties, the affidavit states. The Florida Department of Children and Families and the child’s parents were also notified of the incident, the owner told police.
An officer who was able to see the video said they observed Keys aggressively approach the child after he threw a plastic box on the ground, according to the affidavit. Keys then allegedly grabs the child’s left arm and picks him off the ground before dropping him, after which the child stands up and walks away from the teacher, the affidavit states. No injuries had been reported at that time of the investigation, police said.
After being arrested at her home in Palm Bay, Keys allegedly told police that she knew the incident looked bad on video but had no intention of hurting the child, according to the affidavit.
Her bond was set Monday at pre-trial release and she’s due back in court in April, records show.