A Florida day care worker has been arrested after surveillance footage allegedly captured her abusing an 11-year-old child with disabilities inside a pediatric care facility, according to law enforcement.
The Hernando County Sheriff’s Office said 36-year-old Kaitlyn Pitzer faces one count of child abuse after a disturbing series of incidents on October 9 at Tender Care PPEC (Prescribed Pediatric Extended Care) in Spring Hill, about 50 miles north of Tampa.
According to a police statement, investigators reviewed footage that showed Pitzer and another aide attending to the child when the worker appeared to forcefully push the child’s forehead, causing the victim’s body “to jerk backward in a manner that appeared violent and excessive.”
Moments later, the video allegedly showed Pitzer taunting the child with a piece of cake. When the child reached out for the icing, she “took the child’s finger and smeared the icing across the child’s face,” before aggressively rubbing icing that had fallen on the floor onto the child’s forehead, investigators said.
Authorities said Pitzer then used a wet paper towel to roughly wipe the icing from the child’s face, leaving the victim visibly distressed and attempting to move away from her.
Deputies said the abuse continued when Pitzer allegedly grabbed the child and applied hand sanitizer directly onto open wounds on the victim’s arms, causing pain and further injury. The child reportedly fled “in distress” following the encounter.
The day care’s administration had reported concerns about Pitzer, who had recently been fired, after learning she may have mistreated a child while employed there.
Detectives said the child’s parents expressed deep concern after watching the footage. “The parent advised that the force used to shove the child backward could have caused serious injury due to pre-existing medical conditions,” the sheriff’s report stated.
The parent also told investigators that “scabbed injuries, which had been in the process of healing, began bleeding again after the incident.” Authorities confirmed the child’s documented disabilities made them especially vulnerable.
During questioning, Pitzer reportedly admitted to portions of the abuse. “While speaking with Pitzer she advised that she had been frustrated that day and acknowledged her behavior was inappropriate,” deputies said. “She stated that she knew applying hand sanitizer to the child’s open wounds would cause pain but did not care at the time. Pitzer further admitted to smearing cake on the child’s face and said she thought it was ‘funny’ in the moment.”
Public court records in Hernando County did not yet reflect the charges as of press time. Pitzer is currently being held at the Hernando County Jail on a $5,000 bond.
Legal analysts note that cases like this often lead to civil actions and potential personal injury lawsuits, with Florida child safety lawyers emphasizing that parents of medically fragile children have the right to seek legal compensation for emotional and physical harm.
