A former Texas daycare worker faces multiple charges after allegedly kicking and shoving toddlers over a three-month period. Catherine Guziejka, 44, was arrested on October 30th and booked into the Smith County Jail. She is charged with six counts of injury to a child with intent to cause bodily injury.

The accusations came to light after a staff member at Punkin’ Doodles Day Care in Lindale, Texas, reportedly discovered surveillance footage of the incidents. This staff member alerted a parent, who then contacted authorities. The Smith County Sheriff’s Office is currently reviewing the daycare's surveillance recordings.

Investigators allege that Guziejka is seen on video kicking six different toddlers on 134 separate occasions between July and October. One reported incident involved Guziejka kicking a 2-year-old boy in the lower back while he was lying on the floor. Many of the alleged kicking incidents occurred while children were watching television, with Guziejka purportedly approaching them from behind. The children involved in the kicking incidents were all two years old.

Additional videos allegedly show Guziejka roughly handling children during naptime, pulling them from their beds and dragging them by their arms to a changing table. While on the changing table, Guziejka allegedly pushed children's heads down, forcing them to face the wall when they tried to look towards the television. She is also accused of standing on toddlers' hands as a form of punishment. One video reportedly depicts Guziejka standing on a child’s hand for seven seconds while the child tried to pull away.

Law enforcement officials state that the children were not misbehaving in the videos prior to Guziejka's alleged actions, and she reportedly made no attempt to comfort them afterward. Authorities believe Guziejka's actions were deliberate, unprovoked, and intended to inflict pain.

Guziejka, who started working at the daycare in September 2023, was terminated when the owner learned of the accusations. The owner immediately contacted law enforcement and the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services. The agency subsequently barred Guziejka from working in any setting that cares for vulnerable individuals, including daycares, hospitals, and nursing homes. The daycare has since been sold to a new owner.