Daycare owner accused of injuring infant and lying about it

NEW BRIGHTON, Pa. — A Beaver County daycare owner turned himself in Friday - accused of hurting a 9-month-old baby in his care and then lying about it.

Only Channel 11′s Amy Marcinkiewicz was there as Brandan Washington of Youngstown, Ohio faced a judge.

According to police, the baby girl suffered a skull fracture, a concussion and head swelling at Washington’s daycare on Penn Avenue in New Brighton.

Officers said Washington told them the baby hit herself in the head with a toy car, when in reality, Washington accidentally fell on her while hanging a blanket to block a window. The little girl then hit into a radiator. Police said if Washington had called 9-1-1, this would have been an accident and not a cover-up.

“This is a business owner. He’s a good guy and he didn’t do this,” Steve Valsamidis, Washington’s defense attorney, told Channel 11.

Washington is facing endangering the welfare of children, tampering with evidence and other charges.

The little girl made a full recovering and is no longer at Washington’s childcare facility.

The Palace Daycare is under a provisional license, according to police. The state has been monitoring it for other issues for nearly two years. Officers told Marcinkiewicz one of the employees did not have the proper clearances. Washington is no longer allowed on the premises.

Channel 11 reached out to the Department of Human Services, which provided the following statement:

“The Department of Human Services (DHS) is committed to ensuring safety in all of our facilities, including child care facilities entrusted with the care of some of our most vulnerable Pennsylvanians.

DHS is aware of the allegations against the owner of The Learning Palace, a child care facility in New Brighton, Pa. As the licensing authority for child care facilities in Pennsylvania, DHS is investigating the circumstances of these allegations and will take action against the facility’s license if appropriate. DHS has notified both the owner and facility staff at The Learning Palace that the facility’s owner is not allowed on site until further notice. The Learning Palace, which is currently on a provisional license, may continue to operate under those conditions. DHS has been cooperating with law enforcement and will continue to do so. DHS will also continue to monitor activities at the facility.”

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