A Texas daycare worker has been arrested and charged with felony injury to a child after allegedly biting a three-year-old boy at a Maypearl daycare center last month. Authorities say the worker, identified as Elisha Daniel, turned herself in to the Ellis County Jail last week following the investigation.
According to police, the incident occurred at Little Angels of Maypearl Daycare after the child reportedly bit another student. Instead of de-escalating the situation, Daniel allegedly retaliated by biting the child in return.
Maypearl Police Captain David Smith said investigators reviewed surveillance footage from the daycare that captured the disturbing act. While the video will not be released publicly due to the presence of minors, Captain Smith described what he saw.
“She was very aggressive. Very angry,” Smith said. “She reaches out and grabs the student by the arm, pulls him towards her, then places his arm in her mouth. At that time, you can see a look of anguish or pain come across the child’s face, and you know something is not right with it.”
Police Chief John Shelton called the video a key piece of evidence and expressed support for the use of cameras in daycare facilities. “Just for peace of mind for the parents to know what their child’s going through,” Shelton said.
According to Chief Shelton, Child Protective Services (CPS) contacted the police department in October after learning about the incident. The agency had received a report indicating that Daniel bit the child in response to the boy biting another student. A Maypearl police detective later interviewed daycare employees and secured the video evidence.
Chief Shelton encouraged any other parents who might have concerns to come forward. “If anybody wants to come forth with any additional information or any other incidents, then yes, we will investigate it,” he said. “So far, we just have the one current one that we’re investigating.”
Little Angels of Maypearl declined to speak with reporters but confirmed that Daniel was immediately fired after the incident and has had no contact with the daycare since her dismissal.
FOX 4 News spoke with the victim’s family, who declined to appear on camera but said their son remains confused and upset by what happened. They expressed hope that justice will be served and that their child can begin to heal from the traumatic experience. Daniel faces a felony charge of injury to a child and could serve time if convicted.