An Ohama woman who ran a daycare center is accused of hitting and shaking a little girl under her care. The incident was caught on film on March 28 and made its way back to the child’s parents on April 2.
NBC News reports that daycare worker, 58-year-old Lynn Rowe, is the woman shown in a surveillance video yelling at a 4-year-old girl who sat facing her at a table at Lynn’s Learning Center, at 3109 S. 112th St. The video showed Rowe suddenly becoming angry. She smacked the child in the head a few times. She then snapped at the girl and told her “quit messing with your hair” before hitting her again, this time in the arm.
“Good, I hope it hurt you,” Rowe said.
After the parents saw the video, they confronted her the following day, then went to the police. According to Kelley Meyers, the little girl’s mother, the Omaha Police Department acted swiftly and took out a warrant for Rowe immediately.
Video released by the victim's parents shows daycare owner Lynn Rowe punch the girl’s arm and forcibly shake her: https://t.co/Rfy4BHpGsH pic.twitter.com/8Mlzeb5TE6
— WOWT 6 News (@WOWT6News) April 14, 2017
“We are eternally grateful for Detective Flynn and the Omaha Police Department and all those involved in finding her. And we are happy that she will have to take responsibility for her actions now.”
The victim had been at Rowe’s daycare since she was a baby. The family knew Rowe well. They were shocked by what they saw.
Initially, Rowe denied the allegations. After she saw the video, however, she blamed the little girl, claiming the child was “too difficult.” According to the victim’s father, Al Meyers, the daycare worker became visibly upset while watching the video. She cried and asked for forgiveness.
Police arrested Rowe on Thursday evening in Missouri Valley, Iowa. She’s scheduled for extradition back to Omaha. The Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services ordered Rowe’s daycare to be closed on Friday.
Omaha PD opened an investigation to determine if any other children were hurt while in Rowe’s care. Anyone with any information is urged to contact the Special Victims Unit at 402-444-5636. Anonymous tips can be left on the Omaha Crime Stoppers website.
[Feature Photo: Police Handout]
