WATCH: Surveillance footage revealed after Odessa daycare workers are charged with child abuse

On Tuesday, August 23, 2022, the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office said in a press release that the co-owner and director of a daycare in Odessa has been charged with physically abusing a child under her care. She was arrested on Thursday. The charge was followed by the arrest of a worker from the same daycare days later. She is also charged with third-degree felony child abuse.

On June 20, 2022, Odessa's Children's Land of Imagination Academy daycare came under fire for reportedly being abusive towards a child. During the investigation, the daycare owner, Rong Liu, was found to be physically abusive towards a child while trying to get her to nap. She was arrested on August 19, following which another worker, Tara Ballou, was also charged with child abuse.

Both Odessa women were arrested on the based on surveillance footage released by the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office on Wednesday. In the video, 51-year-old Liu can be seen forcefully pushing and pulling the head and neck of the victim with her hand. A similarly abusive video of Ballou at the Odessa daycare was also released.

Trigger warning: The following video contains graphic content. Viewer's discretion is advised.

In a statement, the Sheriff's Office said:

"Through investigative means, HCSO detectives were able to confirm that the 51-year-old co-owner, in an attempt to put a child down for a nap, forcefully pushed and pulled the head and neck of the victim with her hand. She was seen placing both of her legs across the top of the child's body to try and hold him down. The child victim was crying and flailing their legs throughout the incident."

Both incidents occurred on the same day, about 30 minutes apart, and in the presence of the other. Sheriff Chad Chronister said:

"The video is hard to watch, but gives us a clear view of the mistreatment happening under their watch. We ask all parents who feel their children may have been victims of abuse at this daycare to talk with our detectives."

Both Liu and Ballou were booked into the Hillsborough County jail. They have since been released after posting their bonds. The investigation is still ongoing.

---

What happened at the daycare in Odessa on June 20, 2022?

Rong Liu, better known as Ms. Judy to the community, was said to be a strict teacher who treated her students harshly. However, in surveillance videos released last week, it seems the strictness led to child abuse.

On June 20, Liu, who is the co-owner of Children’s Land of Imagination Academy in Odessa, was reported to the police for being physically abusive to a child under her care. According to Law and Crime, a partially redacted affidavit stated:

"On 06/20/22 the victim [redacted] was at the [redacted]. Between 1202 hours and 1206 hours, the defendant, Rong Liu, was attempting to get the victim to nap. During that time, she moved [redacted] and restrained [redacted] by forcefully pushing and pulling [redacted] head and neck, with her right hand. She also her left and right legs across the top of [redacted] body to hold [redacted] down. [Redacted] appeared to be crying during the incident, as [redacted] was flailing [redacted] legs."

Jessica Torres, a parent whose two-year-old autistic son attended the Children's Land of Imagination Academy, said she learned from a detective in June that her child was among several other non-verbal children who were being forcibly restrained at naptime. She told Fox 13:

"They would put their legs over them to hold them down so that they couldn’t stand up during nap."

Investigations have revealed that the daycare owner in Odessa is known to treat her young students harshly and roughly. The charges have left parents shocked and horrified.