Lindale Daycare Worker Arrested for Allegedly Assaulting Toddlers 134 Times

A daycare worker from Lindale, Texas, has been arrested after being accused of assaulting six young children 134 times.

Catherine Guziejka, 44, of Lindale, has been in the Smith County Jail since October 30th on charges of six counts of injury to a child.

According to the arrest affidavit, security camera footage showed Guziejka kicking toddlers in her care over 100 times in incidents dating back to July.

The investigation into Guziejka began when a coworker at the Punkin’ Doodles Daycare in Lindale reviewed security footage. The coworker reportedly saw Guziejka on video kicking a two-year-old child in the lower back. The staff then reported this incident to the child’s father, who contacted the Smith County Sheriff’s Office on October 23rd.

A deputy reviewed the footage at the daycare, and the arrest reports document a total of 134 incidents. In each of these, Guziejka was seen kicking two-year-old toddlers in the lower back, causing them to cry out in pain and clutch the area where they were kicked.

More than 100 incidents, involving at least six different toddlers, were documented beginning in July.

In one piece of footage, Guziejka was seen standing on a child’s hand for seven seconds, causing the child to pull their hand away in pain. In other instances, Guziejka was seen aggressively adjusting children during naptime and dragging them to the changing table, according to the affidavit.

Following the discovery of this evidence, an arrest warrant was issued for Guziejka on October 30th. She was arrested and taken to jail the same day.

Melanie Dawn Law, the owner of Punkin’ Doodles Daycare, stated that the daycare has been cooperating with law enforcement since the investigation began on October 23rd. Law said she fired Guziejka immediately and reported the abuse to CPS and the Smith County Sheriff’s Office, as required by state law. Guziejka was initially arrested on two counts of injury to a child, with the other four counts added later.

Law confirmed that a total of 134 incidents were identified in the footage. Guziejka had been hired in September of last year after passing background checks and completing the required training and qualifications.

Law also announced that she has sold the daycare. It will be renamed and reopened in December.

The Department of Family and Protective Services has confirmed they are investigating the incidents to determine whether abuse occurred. The results of their investigation will be handed over to the Texas Health and Human Services Commission upon completion.