Child Care Provider Charged With Abusing Infant: Police

(Updated at 1 p.m. Tuesday): SILVER SPRING, MD — A Silver Spring woman who ran a longtime daycare out of her home has been charged with abusing a 2-year-old girl enrolled in the child care after a video caught her physically harming the infant, police announced Tuesday.

Christina Dhanaraj, 65, of the 1600 block of Winding Waye Lane, was arrested and charged with second-degree child abuse. Dhanaraj "made admissions of committing the abuse captured on the video" during a police interview, police said.

Detectives received the video on January 12 showing Dhanaraj abusing the girl and believe the footage was from November or December 2017.

The video shows the girl "sitting quietly" in a room in the home when Dhanaraj approaches her and scolds her, police said. Dhanaraj then "delivers approximately eight open-hand slaps to the child’s face," police said. Dhanaraj pushed the child to the floor, grabbed her by the head and pushed her with a jerking motion.

She was transported to the Central Processing Unit and has been released on bond.

Police said Dhanaraj provided child care in her home for about ten years. Detectives worked with the Maryland Office of Child Care (OCC) to revoke her child care provider license.

Investigators are concerned that there may be additional victims of Dhanaraj’s abuse. Anyone with information about possible abuse is asked to call the Special Victims Investigations Division at 240-773-5400.

Photo via Montgomery County Police Department