Daycare employee charged with six counts of Battery to a Child Less than 14

MICHIGAN CITY, Ind. -- The Michigan City Police Department reports officers were dispatched to a residence in the 1800 block of E. Michigan Boulevard on May 1 around 3:52 p.m. regarding battery against a child less than 14 years old.

The parents of the 1-year-old victim, only identified as D.H., reported they dropped of their son at TT's Daycare on the morning of May 1 around 7:45 a.m.

When D.H. was picked up around 2:30 p.m., his father noticed demeanor was different than usual. Instead of being filled with energy and excitement, his father said he seemed quiet and sad.

D.H. was wearing onesie when he was picked up, so very little skin was showing, but after getting home, the victim's parents discovered significant bruising on D.H. buttocks.

The parents also observed marks on their son's legs, and a mark on their son's left arm, near his shoulder, possibly from having been grabbed or pinched, they say.

The parents told police they have never physically disciplined their children, and their son's body didn't have these marks when he was dropped off that day.

The responding officer then took photos of the victim's injuries. The victim's father also supplied the officer with several photos he had taken himself.

An investigator for Indiana Department of Child Services, Institutional Child Protective Services, was assigned this case as well. The DCS investigator also supplied photos of D.H. taken at the hospital.

On May 6, the DCS investigator and MCPD detective traveled to TT's Daycare at 218 Carroll Ave. to speak with the owner. The owner informed authorities there were cameras in the home and pointed them out.

Aniya Dabney, an employee, arrived at the daycare and asked why the investigators were there. She was told they were there to talk with the owner. Dabney was asked if she was the manager of the daycare, to which she responded, "basically." Dabney showed the DCS investigator around the daycare.

The owner was asked if they do incident reports. She told authorities they would call the parents immediately if there was concern. She added they would also send photos to the parents. The owner was asked if Dabney calls her when there's an incident, to which she said yes. She added Dabney would then call the parents.

When asked if D.H. was bitten, the owner said she'd have to go through her footage to see what happened, but she thought no. The owner stated she came in, and D.H. was in the highchair eating. She added D.H cried a lot and even his father mentioned it.

Other employees who were there on May 1 confirmed D.H. had been there, but they didn't see any marks on him. The DCS investigator reminded the employees that children cannot be punished at daycare.

Dabney stated on the last day he came in D.H. was naked half the time since his mom didn't bring extra clothes back. Dabney had to wash his clothes in the machine because he was a messy eater.

Dabney confirmed that D.H. cried the whole time that day and said he was not walking. When Dabney was asked if she saw any asked if she noticed any scratches, bruises, or welts on him, she stated no, she would have texted his mom.

Dabney said sometimes when D.H. is in the walker or highchair it leaves marks if she straps him in since he is chunky. She stated she didn't see bite marks and that none of the children bite. Dabney was shown the photos of D.H.'s marks and she claimed one mark does look like a bite mark and tried to focus on which child could have done that. She also commented that the bruises were crazy and wondered if they could have been from being in the chair.

On May 7, authorities met with TT's Daycare owner again. She logged into her Xfinity app and airdropped all videos that took place between 7:20 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. on May 1, to investigators.

Investigators observed several videos concerning in nature. In one clip, police say D.H. can be heard crying in the background while another infant, identified only as P.D., lies on a boppy pillow on the floor. Dabney is then seen picking up P.D. by the collar of her onesie.

Another employee then points to D.H. and asks Dabney if she hit his legs because he has welts on them. Dabney then picks D.H. up to look at him. She says she hit him in his booty.

Police say Dabney then comments it was from him sleeping. The other employee comments, "look at his arms," and rubs her upper left arm. Dabney then demonstrates on camera how she states she hit him. She puts her left arm up and uses her right hand and says she held him up in the air and smacked him.

The other employee says he has welts all over him and rubs her upper left arm saying to look there at him and says to look at his other leg. Dabney again bends down and looks at D.H. She says she just hit him in the booty but did flick him in the face. She then demonstrates on camera how she flicked him.

Police say this describes D.H.'s exact injuries. D.H. then crawls away into another room. Another employee then picks up D.H., carries him back into the front room and puts him in his car seat to sit.

Another clip allegedly shows Dabney place a floor mat over P.D.'s face before hitting her with it several times, but lighter with every hit.

In a different clip, D.H. is crying in the background and Dabney says she is about to hit him again because she does not know what to do at this point. She is seen carrying a back scratcher in her hand and enters the room where D.H. is crying.

Michigan City Police Department

Dabney then yells at D.H. to lay down. In the background you hear the back scratcher striking something. D.H. screams harder and louder at this point. After watching the footage and seeing what occurred, investigators went back to the body camera footage of when they first walked through TT's Daycare. They were able to find the object used to strike D.H. in the body cam footage.

Dabney was later interviewed at the Michigan City Police Department after being read her rights. Dabney identified herself, D.H., and his dad in the videos.

Dabney admitted she did pop D.H.'s thigh, but stated that one mark may be from her, but she wasn't back there swatting that baby. She explained she used her back scratcher and stated, "I told ya'll that I popped him on his thighs and flicked him."

Dabney was arrested and charged with six counts of Battery to Child less than 14 years of age committed by a person at least 18 years of age, a Level 6 Felony, and one count Obstruction of Justice Level 5 Felony.