A South Bend daycare operator now faces three felony charges after investigators say video circulating online appeared to show children fighting inside her personal home rather than at the facility she runs. Tysharae Jones, 29, is charged with battery with injury to a person under 14, neglect of a dependent resulting in bodily injury, and contributing to the delinquency of a minor.
Police said the fight took place in June 2026 and involved two children, but it happened at Jones's personal home rather than her South Bend daycare, according to WNDU. That distinction matters because it separates the alleged incident from the licensed child-care operation Jones is known to run in South Bend, even as investigators say the two are connected through her.
Investigators told ABC57 that the charges stem from two separate videos recorded inside Jones's home. Both clips reportedly circulated on social media and allegedly depict Jones herself perpetrating and encouraging violence against children, the outlet reported.
Special Victims Unit Took Over the Investigation
The St. Joseph County Prosecutor's Office Special Victims Unit has been handling the case since it emerged, per the station's report. An earlier investigation had already been underway after a viral video allegedly showed children fighting in the home of the same St. Joseph County daycare operator, as WNDU first reported on October 12.
Prosecutors said Jones had a duty to report what happened, pointing to Indiana's status as a universal-reporting state. Under that framework, state code requires every adult who suspects child abuse to report it to authorities, and failing to do so is against the law and could lead to charges, prosecutors said. Separate from the criminal case against Jones, Indiana's Family and Social Services Administration lists mandatory-reporting statutes, IC 31-33-5 and IC 12-17.2-3.5, that require child-care staff and volunteers to report suspected abuse or neglect, with failure to do so classified as a class B misdemeanor, according to Indiana Family and Social Services Administration materials.
Initial Hearing Set for Monday
An initial hearing in the case is scheduled for Monday, October 26, the same station noted. The outcome of that hearing has not yet been reported.
Several details remain unconfirmed as the case moves forward. The children's identities, ages, and any injuries they may have sustained have not been disclosed, and there is no public information yet on Jones's custody status, an attorney's response, or the current operating status of her daycare. As Valley News Live reported alongside other outlets, St. Joseph County police arrested Jones in connection with the allegations, but further booking details have not been made public.
Cases involving alleged violence inside child-care settings have surfaced elsewhere in recent months. In Fort Worth, a daycare faced a $1 million lawsuit after surveillance footage allegedly captured a substitute teacher encouraging 4-year-olds to fight each other. In Colorado, an at-home daycare in Arvada came under criminal investigation after a child was hospitalized in critical condition, while in North Carolina, a woman was arrested and charged with assaulting a child at a Pittsboro daycare facility.
