ODESSA, Fla. — Days after the co-owner/director of an Odessa daycare was arrested and charged with child abuse, a teacher at the school is now facing the same charge.
Tara Ballou, 28, was arrested on Tuesday. She's a teacher and employee at the Children's Land of Imagination Academy.
The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office said surveillance video showed her forcefully pushing and pulling at a child's arms, legs, head and neck in an attempt to get the child to nap. HCSO said it also showed her placing her left leg across the top of the child's body to hold him down.
The victim was "crying and flailing their legs" throughout the incident, HCSO said.
On August 19, Rong Lui, 51, was also arrested for child abuse after she used similar tactics on a child to get him to nap, HCSO said. Lui is the co-owner and director of the daycare.
The sheriff's office shared this video of the alleged incidents. Some readers may find it difficult to watch.
"The arrest of a second person in this case shows the dedication our investigators have in seeking out those who harm the innocent and vulnerable," said Sheriff Chad Chronister. "The video is hard to watch but gives us a clear view of the mistreatment happening under their watch. We ask all parents who feel their children may have been victims of abuse at this daycare to talk with our detectives."
It's a case that also has several parents fuming.
Parents like Elizabeth Carpenter, who said she did her due diligence when looking for care for her 3-year-old son Richard.
"We did Google reviews, I talked to her all day, and then finally we went at 6 p.m., we went and did a tour," she said.
Carpenter said by all accounts, Children's Land of Imagination Academy "checked out."
So, she enrolled Richard, who is nonverbal, in March. But said she soon began noticing some changes.
"Richard was coming home with diaper rash Monday through Friday, and we would clear it up on the weekend, and Monday would roll around, and he'd have another diaper rash. He was bit, and it wasn't documented," she said. "He's become a biter. He never used to bite until he started going to this school. He started hitting himself."
Carpenter eventually pulled Richard out of the school in late June after losing her job. Days later, she said she got a call that she never saw coming.
"'Hi, this is DCF. We're just calling to notify you that your son has been named as a victim, and it does say that your son was yanked out of a doorway,'" she said.
A call about a DCF investigation into child abuse allegations at the school, which New Port Richey mom Kelly Autrey said she also got.
"I was actually just about to pull in at home. I just dropped him off, so he's at daycare when I got this call," Autrey said.
Autrey said her 3-and-a-half-year-old named Jude struggles with a speech delay and had been enrolled since January.
She said that she's also noticed a change in his behavior.
"He now smacks himself in the face and yells 'No!'" she said.
If those calls and changes weren't enough, both moms said they're left reeling after seeing the video from the daycare. They are now working on learning if there is video of possible abuse connected to their sons.
"I can't believe that a person could look at a child and hurt them in the way that they did these kids," said Autrey.
"I don't know what else to say except that it's disgusting," said Carpenter.
Carpenter is now working on filing a lawsuit against the school and ultimately would like to see it shut down.
DCF inspection reports show the school had compliance issues dating back to May and June of this year. The issues range from improperly screened staff to overcrowded classrooms and choking hazards for the kids there.
The investigation is ongoing, and any future updates will come from the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office Public Affairs Office. If you have any more information regarding this case or feel your child may be a victim of abuse, please call HCSO at (813) 247-8200.
