Three former employees of Bright Horizons Day Care in Manhattan have been indicted on charges of allegedly abusing and mistreating toddlers, as announced by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, Jr. The individuals, Evelyn Vargas, 47, Latia Townes, 24, and Shakia Henley, 37, face multiple counts of Endangering the Welfare of a Child, among other charges. Vargas is additionally charged with Assault and Strangulation in the Second Degree, and four counts of Attempted Assault in the Second Degree, while Townes also faces three counts of Attempted Assault in the Second Degree.
According to a statement by the Manhattan D.A.'s Office, from September 2023 through February 20, 2025, Vargas subjected at least nine toddlers, no older than 24 months, to physical, emotional, and verbal abuse. The alleged abuse included using packing tape over a toddler’s mouth and dragging children by their hair. In one devastating incident, charged with preventing her from breathing, Vargas allegedly placed packing tape across a toddler's face.
The abuse by Townes allegedly spanned from August 2024 through February 2025, impacting at least five toddlers. Identified in the indictment, acts of abuse included pushing and shoving toddlers to the ground and hitting their heads with metal bottles, along with verbal abuse such as name-calling and laughing at distressed toddlers. Henley's charges stem from a period between January 29, 2024, and February 20, 2025, during which she allegedly sprayed at least two toddlers in the face with cleaning supplies.
Assistant D.A. Christopher Charnetsky is prosecuting this case, supervised by Assistant D.A.s Chloe Kendall, Samantha LiTrenta, Heather Buchanan, and Executive Assistant D.A. Justin McNabney. The Manhattan D.A.'s Office encourages any parent or guardian with concerns about their child's welfare, especially those who attended this daycare, to contact their Child Abuse Bureau at 212-335-4300. Allegations of abuse led to the indictment, specially trained professionals at the office can speak to children and their families in a child-friendly setting.
