SALT LAKE CITY – A 66-year-old unlicensed day care worker is facing felony child abuse charges after a baby boy in her care went to the hospital with two broken legs, according to KSTU.
Elvira Ortega, who runs an unlicensed day care out of her Salt Lake City, Utah home, is accused of intentionally inflicting serious physical harm on the child, Salt Lake Police Det. Greg Wilking said.
Salt Lake County court documents state Ortega was caring for the boy, who is less than a year old, when the injuries happened Feb. 23. Det. Wilking said Ortega was caring for multiple other children at the in-home day care.
Ortega later admitted to Salt Lake Police she slammed down the child feet-first on the bathroom floor, breaking both of the child’s legs below the knees.
Police said Ortega also told them she would “rather be deported than go to jail.”
Authorities declined to comment on Ortega’s immigration status citing department policy but did say they thought she might be a flight risk.