A Texas daycare worker was sentenced this week to a decade in prison after she was seen on video kicking and shoving children in her care more than 100 times.
Catherine Guziejka, 45, pleaded guilty in September to six counts of injury to a child, as CrimeOnline reported. She was sentenced to 10 years on each charge, but they will be served concurrently, KLTV reported.
The investigation began a year ago when another daycare worker at Punkin’ Doodles Day Care in Lindale reviewed security footage and saw Guziejka kick a 2-year-old boy in the small of the back. The coworker reported the incident to the boy’s father, who contacted police.
A deputy then reviewed the security footage and soon saw multiple, similar incidents. in each one, Guziejka was seen delivering a swift kick to the back, prompting the toddler to cry out in pain. All of the children were under 2 years old, and the incidents took place between July and October 2024, when Guziejka was arrested.
An affidavit said she was often seen kicking children in the back while they watched television. In other videos, she aggressively adjusted the children while they were sleeping or yanked them by the arm and dragged them to a changing table.
KLTV said Guziejka was fired the day the daycare staff learned what was going on, and the Texas Department of Family and Protective services barred her from working at any hospital, daycare, nursing home, or facility that cares for vulnerable people.
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[Featured image: Catherine Elizabeth Guziejka/Smith County Sheriff’s Office]
