SARASOTA, Fla. — Detectives arrested a nanny for child abuse after the parents came home to find bruises on their two young children, according to Sarasota deputies.
Investigators say the parents told police they found bruises on their 8-month-old's face and 2-year-old's neck after they left them under the care of Sarai Rivera, 25 on April 5. Rivera regularly babysits for the family, deputies say.
Rivera originally told investigators that the bruising on the baby happened after the boy threw a toy at the baby, detectives say. She also told investigators that she was "kissing the male too hard" while she was playing with him and gave him a "hickie" by accident, according to the arrest affidavit.
Nurses examined the bruising on the 8-month-old daughter's face and deputies say it was consistent with "intentional grabbing" and pinching. Detectives say the nurses confirmed the bruising found on her right ear is "specific to child abuse" and was from pinching or grabbing the ear.
Nurses said the bruising on the face and ear were not accidental, according to the affidavit. Detectives say Rivera later admitted to whipping the baby with a towel twice in the face to get her to stop crying, according to detectives.
Detectives say Rivera also later admitted to causing the bruising on the 2-year-old's neck, saying she might have pinched or sucked on his neck too hard. She also admitted to being intoxicated the evening the incidents happened, according to the affidavit.
Detectives say she later disclosed her issues with depression and said she was "adjusting medications" in order to cope. She said the medication makes her "snap" and become "irritable," the affidavit states. She also said she drank rum after the parents left for their date night, according to the affidavit.
Rivera faces two counts of child abuse charges and was sent to the Sarasota County Jail.
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