NJ Daycare Worker Accused Of Abusing 7 Children

A South Jersey woman who was released pending trial after being charged with the attempted murder of a 1-year-old is back in jail on more abuse charges involving six more children, authorities announced on Wednesday.

Maggie Fruit, 21 of Somerdale, was arrested after detectives determined she had assaulted at least six more children who were under her care while she worked at a daycare in Camden County, Acting Camden County Prosecutor Jill S. Mayer and Lindenwold Borough Police Chief Michael P. McCarthy announced.

All the children in her classroom were 1-year-old, according to authorities. She is currently being detained in the Camden County Correctional Facility pending a pre-trial detention hearing.

Fruit was initially arrested in July after authorities said she assaulted a 1-year-old child while she was employed at a daycare in Lindenwold.

Video surveillance showed she assaulted the child and another child about 30 minutes before that, according to the Camden County Prosecutor’s Office. Read more here: NJ Daycare Worker Charged With Attempted Murder Of 1-Year-Old

In that incident, she was charged with first-degree attempted murder and third-degree endangering the welfare of a child.

Fruit was released on pre-trial monitoring over the State’s objection at her detention hearing one week later, according to the prosecutor’s office.

She was released on provisions that she report to court officials by phone weekly and refrain from contact with the daycare or anyone involved in the case, according to nj.com. She also can’t work in any childcare capacity.

Her release drew the ire of the community, and members of the community gathered across the street from her home in protest a week after she was released, according to 6 ABC. A group of police officers had to stand outside her home to protect her.

At the same time, detectives from the Camden County Prosecutor’s Office and the Lindenwold Police Department continued reviewing all available surveillance footage for the time period before the initial incident, authorities said.

During their investigation, they discovered that Fruit, who had been working at the daycare for a short time, had abused six more children that were under her care, authorities said.

Fruit has additionally been charged with nine counts of aggravated assault, eight counts of endangering the welfare of a child and four counts of criminal restraint.

Anyone with additional information is asked to call Detective Jovan Plaza at 856-225-8493 or Lindenwold Police Detective Joe Tomasetti at 856-784-7566. Tips can also be emailed to ccpotips@ccprosecutor.org.