01-08-2025
Pennsylvania day care teacher arrested, charged with assaulting two baby girls in Montgomery County
A teacher in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, is accused of assaulting two babies who were in her care at a day care in Oaks, officials say.
Catalina Baldwin, of Phoenixville, was arrested Thursday and charged with aggravated assault and other crimes, Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin R. Steele's office said Thursday.
Upper Providence Township Police began investigating the latest incident on July 9, when officers responded to a report of an unresponsive 7-month-old at Oaks Early Learning Center on Egypt Road, the criminal complaint says. Baldwin had been responsible for the baby, who law enforcement is identifying as SF, and two others in the infant room at the center. Around 10 a.m., Baldwin texted school director Christina Dolga, asking her to come to the infant room. Dolga said in an interview with police that she arrived in the room and found SF listless and unable to hold up her head.
Upper Providence firefighters were at the center already for a program, so Dolga asked them to provide emergency care to the baby, who appeared to be having seizures. The baby was taken to Children's Hospital of Philadelphia in King of Prussia, where her medical team said she had bleeding in her brain and injuries to her brain, eyes and spine, the complaint says. She was flown to CHOP in Philadelphia for emergency surgery and remains hospitalized, according to the DA's office.
The baby's parents say she was healthy and engaging when they dropped her off at the center that day. July 9 was her third day going to the day care.
CBS News Philadelphia has reached out to Oaks Early Learning Center for comment.
Baldwin told police there were no drops or falls involving SF on July 9, the criminal complaint says.
CHOP's Child Protection Team said the baby's injuries were life-threatening and "appear to have been caused by traumatic force," according to the complaint.
Detectives obtained Baldwin's cellphone records and found she had sent a text saying the baby "is a nightmare," the day of the incident.
Upper Providence police also investigated another incident involving a baby at the day care earlier this summer. According to the criminal complaint, police received a report on June 2 about a 5-month-old baby girl who was admitted to CHOP in Philadelphia for an unexplained injury in her mouth. The baby, referred to as ECW in documents, had an injury under her tongue that made it difficult to eat and required a feeding tube, the complaint says.
Baldwin and Dolga told the baby's mother during a meeting that the injury was from her putting a broken wicker basket in her mouth, but no one had seen her do it, the criminal complaint says. The baby previously had a bruise on her cheek, which the day care staff told her mother was from her rolling too quickly onto toys.
The Child Protection Team at CHOP said ECW's injuries are unlikely for an infant of her age and development and that rolling onto a toy would not cause the injuries she had.
Baldwin had sole care and custody of both of the babies when their injuries occurred, the complaint says.
A preliminary hearing is set for Aug. 12.
