Miami-Dade Teacher Charged with Child Abuse of 2-Year-Old at Lincoln-Marti School

A 21-year-old teacher, Merlin Gutierrez, has been arrested and charged with the abuse of a 2-year-old girl at Lincoln-Marti School in Southwest Miami-Dade, with the alleged incident caught on surveillance footage showing "grabbed, shook, dragged and repeatedly slapped the little girl throughout her head and body" as detailed in the report by authorities, NBC Miami has shared.

Following the arrest, which occurred two days after the Monday incident, Gutierrez turned herself in to police and then refused to provide a statement; she has been charged with child abuse without great bodily harm, and her bond set at $5,000, she is in custody at Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center, the school is at a location where the troubling abuse took place at the campus at 22165 SW 112th Avenue, according to police. In a related account, CBS News Miami reported that Judge Mindy Glazer during the bond hearing told Gutierrez "You are arrested for one count of child abuse" and directed her to avoid any direct or indirect contact with the child, imposing a restraining order that stipulates she must "Stay at least 500 feet away from the victim's home and school at all times."

Institutionally, Lincoln-Marti Schools and Childcare Centers issued a statement, which articulated, "Lincoln-Marti is wholly committed to the safety of every child in our care. The director of Lincoln-Marti’s childcare center witnessed an incident on the center's camera system and immediately removed the teacher from the classroom. Lincoln-Marti contacted the Florida Abuse Hotline to report the incident, and Lincoln-Marti has cooperated fully with authorities and with the child’s parents. As this is an open investigation, no further comment is appropriate," as per NBC Miami.

The troubling developments have understandably sparked disquiet amongst the parent community, some admitted to CBS News Miami that they were only recently apprised of the charges, while the Lincoln-Marti Child Care school declined to comment further; the bond was afforded with pretrial services and a clear mandate that Gutierrez is prohibited from returning to the school according to the court's order, meanwhile the investigation marches onward.