Crime & Safety
Daycare Staffer In Middletown Accused Of 'Tossing' Toddler
A daycare worker at a Middletown facility is facing charges after a physical altercation with a child, police said.
MIDDLETOWN, CT — A staff member of a daycare facility in Middletown was fired and is now facing charges after a physical incident involving a toddler, police said.
The case dates back to Jan. 12, when the Middletown Police Special Investigations Unit received a complaint that a 2-year-old child was "assaulted" by a teacher at the Town & Country Early Learning Center on South Main Street, according to a news release.
Officials at the facility notified the child's family of the assault and allowed family members to watch surveillance video of the incident, police said. The family then came to police headquarters and requested that the teacher be arrested, according to a news release.
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The teacher was later identified as 47-year-old Kristie Kovarcik of Haddam, according to a news release.
During the investigation, detectives, via the surveillance video, confirmed that Kovarcik picked up the child and "tossed" the child to the side of her. The child's head struck a nearby wall, which led to a minor contusion above the right eye, according to a news release.
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The daycare's director heard a commotion, pulled up the surveillance camera for Kovarcik's room and witnessed the sequence, police said. The director then entered the room, removed the child and reported the incident to the parents and to the state Department of Children and Families, as required, according to a news release.
Detectives obtained an arrest warrant for Kovarcik that charged her with risk of injury to a minor and second-degree reckless endangerment. Kovarcik surrendered on Feb. 26, 2024. She was released on a written promise to appear in court, appeared before a judge on March 11 and is due for a second appearance on April 2, according to judicial system records and police.
Police said that Town & Country terminated Kovarcik's employment after the incident.
See also: Tree Falls On 2 Cars, Woman Injured: CSP
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