Bloomington Au Pair Charged After Cameras Capture Infant Abuse
BY MN CRIME STAFF
A woman is now charged after home surveillance cameras captured repeated acts of abuse against a five-month-old baby inside the family’s home.
The investigation began March 6 when police were called to a residence in Bloomington after a parent reported suspected child abuse.
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Prosecutors charged 29-year-old Belky Lilibeth Acosta-Olmedo, of Bloomington, with felony malicious punishment of a child and gross misdemeanor malicious punishment of a child. Court records show she was working as an au pair for the family and lived in the home with the parents and their two children, including a two-year-old and the five-month-old victim.
According to the criminal complaint, the victim’s father told officers he became concerned after noticing his two-year-old child had become unusually clingy and fearful when left in Acosta-Olmedo’s care. That concern led him to review video from cameras inside the home that activate when a baby’s cry is detected.
While reviewing the recordings, he discovered several incidents from earlier in the week that he believed showed the baby being abused.
Investigators say the first incident occurred March 4. Video showed Acosta-Olmedo picking the five-month-old up from a baby bouncer and dropping or tossing the baby onto a sloped mat on the floor from about two feet above the surface. The complaint states the act appeared to come from frustration as the baby continued crying.
Additional recordings from March 5 captured what investigators described as more aggressive conduct.
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In one clip, Acosta-Olmedo is seen attempting to place the baby in a crib while the infant cries. The video shows her repeatedly putting a pacifier into the baby’s mouth. As the crying continues, she begins forcefully holding the pacifier in place while covering the child’s mouth and nose with her hand. Investigators say the child can be heard crying louder as the hand covers the face.
The complaint states Acosta-Olmedo then removed the baby from the crib and struck the child’s back repeatedly in what appeared to be a forceful attempt to burp the infant before quickly flipping the baby back and forth, causing the baby’s head to swing.
In another recording from the same day, investigators say Acosta-Olmedo leaned over the crib and asked why the baby was crying. When the crying intensified, she slapped the five-month-old across the face.
Police documented a mark on the infant’s face. The parents told officers the injury appeared after the conduct seen in the March 5 recordings. Officers also noted the parents appeared emotional while describing what they had discovered.
Acosta-Olmedo was arrested at the home when officers responded to the report.
If convicted of the felony charge, Acosta-Olmedo faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a $10,000 fine.
Court records show she is being held in custody on $40,000 bail with conditions that include no contact with the victim and remaining law-abiding. She is expected to make an initial court appearance on Tuesday morning.
The investigation began March 6 when police were called to a residence in Bloomington after a parent reported suspected child abuse.