CINCINNATI — A daycare worker facing charges of abusing a child at a West Price Hill day care has been ruled "incompetent to stand trial," according to a Hamilton County Judge Jody Luebbers.
Kristian Hemmitt was accused of allegedly hitting, smacking, grabbing, slamming, throwing and pushing a 1-year-old child at Small Kids Adventures Learning Center II. Investigators said Hemmitt pulled the toddler up by the hair, preventing her feet from touching the ground. Surveillance video showed Hammitt walking 10 feet while performing a "push-pull" motion with the child's hair clenched in her closed fists.
Investigators also said Hemmitt attempted to alter the child's appearance to cover up the assault, as well as dispose of evidence of the assault in a trash can. According to court documents, the child suffered multiple scalp injuries, and investigators said the harm resulted in the child needing ER care.
Hemmitt was facing charges of assault, two counts of tampering with evidence and two counts of endangering children.
Though she will not stand trial, Hemmitt has been ordered to seek treatment at Summit Behavior. Judge Luebbers hopes treatment will help Hemmitt become competent enough to stand trial at a later date.
A report and recommendation sent to the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services on May 6 suggested the day care remain closed amid the child abuse investigation after it was initially shut down in March. The initial closure came after surveillance video showed snapshots of the alleged abuse. Though two other employees were seen in the video, they have remained unnamed because they have not been charged with any crime at this time.
Prior to the March arrest, inspection reports from the Ohio Job and Family Services show two complaints against the day care in 2020. In one case, someone accused an employee of yelling and using inappropriate language. The other complaint claimed children were not properly supervised.
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