WATSONVILLE — An 18-year-old Watsonville woman was arrested on suspicion of child abuse Thursday after police obtained a video of her hitting a 15-month-old girl.
The video shows Barbara Garcia seated on the floor when, “Without provocation, Garcia violently swung her hand and slapped the child on the head, knocking the child off her feet as she flew several feet away and lay motionless on the ground,” Watsonville police Sgt. Saul Gonzalez said.
Still seated, Garcia “grabbed the child by the hair,” dragged the child to her lap and continued to slap her in the face,” Gonzalez said.
Garcia takes care of a 15-month-old girl who is her boyfriend’s daughter from a previous relationship, said Gonzalez. Garcia is pregnant with her boyfriend’s child.
Thursday afternoon, Garcia’s neighbor on the 500 block of California Street called police because he heard a woman hitting a child, police said.
Police found the 15-month-old girl unresponsive with bruises around her eyes. She was taken to a hospital, where she remained Friday with a traumatic head injury.
During an investigation, police talked to another neighbor who shot the cellphone video through an open window of Garcia striking the 15-month-old on Wednesday.
Garcia’s boyfriend works nights and asked her to care for the child. He was unaware of the alleged abuse, police said.
When asked about the baby’s injuries, Garcia told investigators the child would not stop crying. Garcia eventually admitted to abusing the little girl, police said.
Garcia was arrested on suspicion of child abuse and is being held in Santa Cruz County Jail on Friday in lieu of $50,000 bail, according to jail records.
Watsonville police ask anyone with information to call investigations at 831-768-3350 or leave an anonymous tip on the tipline at 831-768-3544.
