Daycare provider accused of punching toddler, claims she ‘lost her mind’

TAYLORSVILLE — A Taylorsville woman who runs an in-home daycare is accused of hitting a 1-year-old girl on her first day at the daycare allegedly because she wouldn’t stop crying.

Sabrina Castellano Anez, 23, was charged Wednesday in 3rd District Court with aggravated child abuse, a first-degree felony.

On July 21, a 1-year-old girl “attended her first day of daycare” at Castellano Anez’s home, according to charging documents. But when her father picked her up, the girl “had a ‘multitude of injuries'” including “a bite mark on her left ear, bruising on her left ear, and injuries to her left eye, nose, face, and a goose egg on her head.”

The girl was taken to a local hospital for treatment and police were contacted.

When questioned, Castellano Anez told officers that the toddler “was crying a lot and despite her efforts to get her to stop, she wouldn’t stop crying and (Castellano Anez) ‘lost her mind,'” the charges state.

Castellano Anez said she covered the girl’s mouth “for one or two minutes,” but then “hit her…with a closed fist” when she started crying again, according to the charges, and then hit her a second time. “Castellano Anez conceded that she shouldn’t have hit (the girl) but ‘didn’t know what to do,'” the charges state.

Prosecutors say Castellano Anez “runs an in-home day care and reported that she had 12 children signed up for her services.” They have requested that she be held in the Salt Lake County Jail without the possibility of posting bail pending trial.

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Child abuse resources:

• Utah Domestic Violence Coalition operates a confidential statewide, 24-hour domestic abuse hotline at 1-800-897-LINK (5465). Resources are also available online: udvc.org. The statewide child abuse and neglect hotline is 1-855-323-DCFS (3237).

Help with children

Those who feel stressed out with a child, who need a break or who feel like they need counseling or training can reach out to one of the following agencies:

• The Family Support Center has 15 locations throughout the state and offers a free crisis nursery for parents who have to keep appointments or who are stressed out. They also offer counseling and family mentoring. Call 801-955-9110 or visit familysupportcenter.org/contact.php for more information.
• Prevent Child Abuse Utah provides home visiting in Weber, Davis, and Box Elder counties. Parent Educators provide support, education, and activities for families with young children. Their statewide education team offers diverse trainings on protective factors, digital safety, bullying, and child sex trafficking. They are available for in-person or virtual trainings and offer free online courses for the community at pcautah.org.
• The Office of Home Visiting works with local agencies to provide home visits to pregnant women and young families who would like to know more about being parents. Home visitors are trained and can provide information about breastfeeding, developmental milestones, toilet training, nutrition, mental health, home safety, child development, and much more. Find out more at homevisiting.utah.gov.
• The Safe Haven law allows birth parents in Utah to safely and anonymously give up custody of their newborn child at any hospital in the state, with no legal consequences and no questions asked. The child’s mother can drop off the child, or the mother can ask someone else to do it for her. The newborns should be dropped off at hospitals that are open 24 hours a day. Newborns given up in this manner will be cared for by the hospital staff, and the Utah Division of Child and Family Services will find a home for the child. For more information, visit utahsafehaven.org or call the 24-hour hotline at 866-458-0058.