An 8-month-old baby is fighting for life after a medical emergency that Smithfield police say started inside a neighborhood home daycare. The infant was rushed to WakeMed for emergency brain surgery and remains in serious condition, while the woman who had been caring for the child now faces a stack of felony charges.
According to WRAL, Smithfield police on Tuesday arrested 26-year-old Brooke Ashley Reiner. She is charged with two counts of intentional child abuse inflicting serious bodily injury and one count of providing child care while unlicensed that resulted in serious injury to a child. A magistrate set her bond at $5 million, and officials say she is scheduled to appear in court Wednesday.
Allegations in arrest warrant
Investigators say the arrest warrant paints a brutal picture of what allegedly happened to the 8-month-old. Court documents describe the baby being struck repeatedly in the face, head and abdomen, and thrown onto a changing table where the infant’s head was slammed against the surface, according to ABC11. The warrant states the child suffered a brain bleed with a midline shift and other severe trauma, requiring emergency neurosurgery. The baby remains hospitalized in serious condition.
Unlicensed home child care under scrutiny
Police say the alleged abuse occurred at Sunrise to Sunset Home Child Care, reported to be operating out of a residence at 205 Cloverdale Drive in Smithfield. Investigators say the provider had been caring for multiple children there for more than a year. Detectives obtained a search warrant for the home after Johnston County EMS transported the injured infant to WakeMed and are urging any families who used the daycare to contact them, according to JoCo Report.
State law and penalties
North Carolina law makes it illegal to operate a child-care facility without a license, and violations that result in serious injury to a child can be charged as a Class H felony. The state can also impose civil penalties and take licensing enforcement actions, according to the North Carolina General Assembly.
What happens next
Reiner is currently being held on a $5,000,000 bond and is expected to make her initial court appearance this week. Anyone with information about the case is asked to contact the Smithfield Police Department's Criminal Investigations Division at 919-934-2121.
Police say the investigation is still active, and detectives are working to identify other families whose children may have been in the unlicensed daycare. With the probe ongoing, authorities have not released additional details.
