Daycare Owner Accused of Physically Forcing Child to Bite Another on the Arm

A Texas daycare worker is facing felony charges after allegedly forcing a 2-year-old girl to bite another 2-year-old girl on the playground.

Jennifer Ann Garrett was arrested on Tuesday, September 15, on a third-degree felony charge of injury to a child, according to an arrest affidavit viewed by KWTX.

Garrett is reportedly the owner of Hubbard, Texas-based day care Gracious Beginnings. The charges stem from an incident reportedly captured on video surveillance that took place on August 26. Police allege Garrett grabbed a girl’s right arm and held it in one hand and grabbed the back of another girl’s head with the other.

She is then accused of physically manipulating the girl’s head and forcing her mouth down to the first girl’s arm. She held both girls there, restraining the one girl by the arm, preventing her from retracting it as the pain of the bite set in. Once the girl finally bit the other girl’s arm in the space above the wrist and below the elbow, Garrett let go and the little girl reportedly recoiled and put her hands on either side of her face, as if she was upset at what just happened.

The outlet reports that Garrett then forcefully walked the girl who had been bitten to the other side of the playground “briskly.”

The affidavit does not outline any injuries from the incident or who called in to report the incident. However, the moment on the playground is reportedly being investigated by the Department of Family and Protective Services, Hill County District Attorney Mark Pratt told the outlet.

If convicted, Garrett faces up to 10 years behind bars.