Woman who severely abused infant at Lake City daycare pleads guilty, sentenced to 20 years in prison

A woman who police say severely abused an infant while working at a Lake City daycare has pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 20 years in prison, court records show.

Alyssa Thompson, 30, pleaded guilty to aggravated child abuse on October 19, according to Columbia County court records.

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The same day, she was sentenced to 20 years in state prison and was given credit for time served of 5 months and 16 days.

The Lake City Police Department said Thompson worked at the Wee Care Too daycare center before she was fired and arrested in May. Investigators say surveillance video captured two separate incidents in April, and the details outlined in Thompson’s arrest report are graphic.

On April 20, officers were called to the daycare for an unresponsive child. When they arrived, they found a baby girl in crisis. Police say she was having seizures, was lethargic, and had a fever.

READ: Lake City daycare worker arrested for child abuse, police say

After reviewing surveillance footage from earlier that day, investigators say Thompson was seen forcefully tossing the baby into a bouncy chair, causing the child to hit her head on a metal bar. Later, police say she snatched the infant out of a crib and dropped her onto a changing table from a height that caused the child’s head to bounce again.

According to the arrest report, after changing the baby, Thompson picked her up and realized the child was limp and not moving. That’s when police say she ran out of the room to get help.

But investigators say that was not the first time.

Surveillance footage from April 13 shows what police describe as another violent incident. In that video, Thompson was seen ramming the child’s head into a wooden rail and tossing her onto a changing table, again causing the baby’s head to bounce multiple times.

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At one point, police say the child’s body appeared so limp that she was hanging out of a chair with her head thrown back, staring at the ceiling with a blank gaze.

A less-redacted arrest report for Thompson details the injuries the baby suffered.

The Medical Director of the Child Protective Team told deputies child “has significant injuries to include a skull fracture, detached retinas, bleeding behind the eyes, and significant bleeding on the brain. Due to the significance of the injuries (redacted) has had multiple burr holes drilled in her skull to relieve the pressure.”

The deputy was also told “it is a very strong possibility that (redacted) will have lifelong medical issues stemming from these instances.”

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According to Florida Department of Corrections records, Thompson was admitted November 3 and is currently being held at the Florida Women’s Reception Center in Ocala.

Her scheduled release date is April 28, 2046.

Action News Jax has reached out to LCPD for an update on the baby’s condition and we are waiting to hear back.

We Care Too is listed as “permanently closed” by Google.

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