Day-care employee charged with attempted murder, endangerment for allegedly assaulting a 1-year-old, abusing another
Maggie Fruit, 21, of Somerdale, has been charged with attempted murder and endangering the welfare of a child in connection with the alleged incidents, which occurred on Thursday.
An employee of a Camden County child-care center has been charged with assaulting a 1-year-old and abusing another, authorities announced Saturday.
Maggie Fruit, 21, of Somerdale, has been charged with attempted murder and endangering the welfare of a child in connection with the incidents, which occurred Thursday, according to a statement by acting Camden County Prosecutor Jill S. Mayer and Lindenwold Borough Police Chief Michael P. McCarthy.
The incidents occurred at a day-care center on the 600 block of Chews Landing Road in Lindenwold, according to the statement, which did not name the facility.
Authorities said a 911 call at 1:41 p.m. Thursday reported a child being abused at the center. When police arrived, they were shown a surveillance video that captured the assault, which witnesses also described, according to the statement.
The child was taken to a hospital for examination and released, authorities said.
About 30 minutes before that child was assaulted, the statement said, Fruit was being “physically abusive” to another 1-year-old in the same classroom, the surveillance video also showed, according to the statement. That child did not require medical attention, authorities said.
Fruit, who has worked at the day-care center for two months, was charged Thursday and sent to the Camden County Jail, where she awaits a pretrial detention hearing.
Anyone with additional information is asked to call Detective Jovan Plaza at 856-225-8493 or Lindenwold Police Detective Joe Tomasetti at 856-784-7566, or email tips to ccpotips@ccprosecutor.org.