SPRING, TX — A daycare worker is behind bars after he was caught on video slamming a 4-year-old girl to the ground last week at a daycare facility in Spring, Texas.
When the girl’s mother arrived at Children’s Lighthouse Daycare (located at 2885 Waterbend Cove, Spring, TX) to pick up her child on Wednesday March 22nd, she immediately noticed that her daughter’s lip was swollen.
Chief Matthew Rodrigue of the Montgomery County Constables Office reported that the daycare provided a form saying the child “had basically hurt themselves by tumbling within the classroom,” but her child told a different story of physical abuse.
The parent(s) reported the incident to the Montgomery County Precinct 3 Constable’s office the very same day, and an investigation was started. Four days after the incident, on March 26th, Gregory Diglin was arrested and charged with injury to a child (a 3rd-degree felony).
During the investigation, surveillance video footage was discovered that showed Gregory Diglin yelling at the little girl “Don’t tell me no,” before grabbing the 4-year-old by the arm and slamming her face-first to the ground. According to the video (shown above), the girl’s face struck the floor and she immediately began to cry in pain. Footage then shows Diglin leading the child off-camera, where police say he attempted to clean up her injuries and wipe the blood off her face.
The child sustained injuries to the face and mouth area, busted lips, damage to the gums, and dental damage. While the child received medical care and is expected to recover, she may still suffer from long-term dental trauma.
Diglin was charged with injury to a child, and is currently being held in the Montgomery County Jail on $250,000 bond. In a statment, the daycare company says that Mr. Diglin is no longer employed at Children’s Lighthouse of Spring Harmony, and that they are cooperating with local authorities to ensure that the situation is handled properly.
According to KHOU, the Department of Family Protection Services (DFPS) cited Children’s Lighthouse a total of 31 times in the last two years alone. Nine of those citations were considered “serious” issues.
Investigators say they’re concerned that there may be additional victims, and those with information are asked to call 281-364-4211. “This is a pretty violent action toward a very small child,” said Chief Matthew Rodrigue. “We take these things very seriously in Montgomery County.”