LAFAYETTE, La. (KLFY) -- A Lafayette former day-care worker has been indicted on a child cruelty charge from an incident in April 2023, court records show.
Clemonia Onezime, 24, of Lafayette was indicted Wednesday on one count of felony cruelty to a juvenile by a grand jury in the 15th Judicial District Court.
According to the indictment, Onezime "intentionally or with criminal negligence did mistreat or neglect a child...under the age of seventeen, thereby inflicting unjustfiable pain or suffering on said child," on April 28, 2023.
Police said the arrest stems from a report filed by the 2-year-old victim’s parent alleging cruelty on April 28. The report alleged that Onezime, who was employed at the time at Little Blessings Childcare and Preschool in the 800 block of Pandora Street, grabbed the victim who was under her care and slammed him to the ground for not wanting to take a nap.
Onezime was also observed placing the victim in a prone position on a mat where she placed her thigh on his lower back and used her body weight to restrict the victim from moving, police said.
Nathaniel Moore, president and CEO of Little Blessings Childcare and Preschool, said Onezime was fired immediately after video of the incident was reviewed.
An indictment means a grand jury determined that enough evidence exists to warrant a trial on the charges leveled. The scheduled date of that trial has not yet been released.
