A Florida babysitter accused of striking an infant in the face and leaving significant bruising has entered a plea in the child abuse case.
Viviana Ortiz-Lopez, 30, pleaded no contest to child abuse without great bodily harm. The court withheld adjudication and credited her for the more than 160 days she had spent in jail.
Ortiz-Lopez was sentenced to five years of probation. As part of the agreement, she will no longer care for children other than her own.
The case began after the infant’s mother picked her up from Ortiz-Lopez’s home in Summerfield on March 10 and noticed injuries on her face, according to the Marion County Sheriff’s Office.
The mother had dropped the baby off at the home in the 1300 block of SE 41st Court at about 8 a.m. Around five hours later, Ortiz-Lopez called and asked her to collect the child “due to her non-stop crying and not allowing the other children at the location to sleep,” deputies wrote.
The affidavit said Ortiz-Lopez “sounded desperate for her to come get the victim.”
Ortiz-Lopez allegedly told the mother that the baby had caused the injuries herself. She also reportedly suggested bringing mittens in the future to prevent the child from hurting herself.
After taking the infant home, the mother photographed the injuries. The child’s father then contacted law enforcement and provided the images.
“In the photos I observed apparent bruising along the victim’s left cheek,” deputies wrote. “I also observed four distinct red lines which would be consistent with a slap mark. On the victim’s nose, I observed swelling and more bruising which ran to underneath her eyes.”
Doctors who examined the infant at a hospital determined that the injuries were likely caused by an adult, according to the affidavit.
The baby had been in Ortiz-Lopez’s care for only two days after a mutual friend recommended her. Following the incident, the mother contacted that friend, who allegedly said she had previously removed her own children from Ortiz-Lopez’s care because she suspected they were being hit. The friend reportedly said she had not contacted police because she feared Ortiz-Lopez.
Investigators listened as the mother called Ortiz-Lopez, but she continued to deny hitting the infant. During a later interview, deputies said Ortiz-Lopez made several “contradictory statements” about how the injuries occurred.
She initially said the baby was covered with a blanket when she arrived and that she did not see her face. She later claimed the infant had rubbed her face with the blanket, causing the bruising.
Deputies noted that the bruised area was roughly the size of Ortiz-Lopez’s hand. The affidavit also said she “never changed her attitude” and appeared “very calm” while being questioned about the alleged abuse.