Aiken daycare worker charged with assaulting 3-year-old child

AIKEN, S.C. (WRDW/WAGT) - A North Augusta woman was charged Wednesday with assaulting a child while working at the Sunshine House Day Care in Aiken.

Investigation began on Oct. 22 when a mother contacted the Aiken Department of Public Safety to report her 3-year-old son was assaulted at the day care’s 109 Summerwood Way location.

She told police she was originally told her child was injured after he fell and hit his head.

Later, the mother was contacted by the day care’s director who informed her that her child may have been assaulted by employee 22-year-old D’aja Brown, according to an Aiken Department of Public Safety incident report.

The day care’s director told police Brown was placed on administrative leave and investigation had begun. Brown was officially terminated for child maltreatment the following day, Sunshine House said in a statement.

An arrest warrant states Brown can be seen on video forcefully grabbing the 3-year-old victim by the arm in a classroom and swinging him into a piece of “shelf-like furniture.” This caused the child to hit his head.

Brown was charged on Wednesday with unlawful neglect of a child or helpless person, according to arrest records.

Sunshine House Early Learning Academy released the following statement:

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