A worker at a Richmond child care center, A Step Ahead Daycare, has been arrested and is facing multiple child abuse charges. According to arrest citations, 25-year-old Elizabeth Thomas was interviewed by Richmond Police on April 4th regarding allegations of misconduct.
During the interview, the citation states that Thomas admitted to frequently losing her temper while working at the daycare and grabbing children by their arms.
One specific incident on March 20th was detailed in the citation, where another worker reportedly witnessed Thomas grab a child who was spitting, pull them across the room, yell in their face, and then simulate spitting.
In another alleged incident on March 20th during nap time, Thomas admitted to grabbing a child who didn’t want to nap, throwing them onto a cot, holding them down wrapped in a blanket, and repeatedly hitting their back when the child cried.
The citation also notes that Thomas admitted to receiving a prior write-up at the same daycare for a similar incident.
Additionally, she is accused of denying a child with a doctor-approved special diet their packed lunch, insisting they eat the daycare-provided food first. A witness told police this resulted in the child refusing to eat.
Elizabeth Thomas was arrested on April 7th and booked into the Madison County Detention Center. She is currently charged with three counts of first-degree criminal abuse of a child 12 or under and one count of fourth-degree assault related to child abuse. This investigation is ongoing.
