A 26-year-old woman, Mckinley Hernandez, has been sentenced to 18 years in prison for the severe abuse of a toddler in her unlicensed day care. Hernandez’s actions caused life-altering injuries to a 2-year-old boy in her care, leaving him with permanent physical and developmental challenges.
The case has raised concerns about the safety of unlicensed day cares and the devastating consequences of child abuse.
The Abuse and Investigation
On September 1, 2023, Hernandez and her boyfriend brought a 2-year-old child to a hospital after he required lifesaving surgery. The toddler had suffered severe injuries, including a traumatic brain injury, subdural hemorrhaging, and retinal hemorrhaging. He also had bruises all over his body, consistent with non-accidental trauma, leading investigators to believe that the injuries were the result of abuse.
The Lakewood Police launched an investigation into the incident, which revealed that Hernandez had been operating an unlicensed home day care for over a year and had been caring for the child regularly. Surveillance footage from the day of the incident showed the toddler either falling or being pushed from a camper trailer.
Hernandez was seen carrying him inside, and shortly after, the footage captured her biting the child’s arm. Within minutes, the toddler became unresponsive, but Hernandez did not take him to the hospital until approximately 20 minutes later.
The Victim’s Devastating Injury and Impact on His Family
At Hernandez’s sentencing, the victim’s family spoke about the lifelong consequences of her actions. The boy’s mother shared that her son spent 32 days in the hospital, where he had to be intubated, sedated, placed on and off a ventilator, and fed through a tube. The victim has since had to relearn basic functions such as breathing, eating, and walking, and continues to face challenges with motor skills development.
The emotional impact on the victim’s family was clear. The boy’s mother expressed the pain of knowing that her son’s future had been altered forever. “The possibility of playing sports, wrestling with his brothers, following in his father’s footsteps into the military — these are things that will never happen,” she said. “Not because he didn’t want them, but because someone made a choice to take them away.”
Hernandez’s Sentence and Legal Consequences
Hernandez was convicted of one count of child abuse for recklessly causing serious bodily injury. At her sentencing, she was given an 18-year prison term, followed by three years of mandatory parole. She was granted 242 days of presentence confinement credit, which means she will begin serving her sentence immediately.
The sentence reflects the severity of the crime and the long-term impact on the victim’s life. The case has drawn attention to the dangers posed by unlicensed day cares and the need for stricter regulations to protect vulnerable children from abuse.
Community Reaction and the Need for Change
The case has left the community in shock, and many have expressed their outrage over the abuse and the devastating consequences for the victim and his family. Child protection advocates have called for greater oversight of day care operations, particularly those that are unlicensed, to ensure that children are not placed in situations where they are at risk of harm.
The tragedy has also sparked a broader conversation about the need for better support for parents, particularly those who may feel overwhelmed, and the importance of early intervention in preventing child abuse. The victim’s family continues to seek justice and raise awareness about the lifelong consequences of such abuse.