SUMMERFIELD, Fla. — A Florida babysitter who was accused of striking an infant in the face has avoided additional jail time after entering a no-contest plea in a child abuse case.
Viviana Ortiz-Lopez, 30, pleaded no contest to child abuse without great bodily harm. The court withheld adjudication, and she was sentenced to five years of probation.
As part of the sentence, Ortiz-Lopez agreed that she will no longer care for children who are not her own.
The case began after the infant was picked up from Ortiz-Lopez’s home on March 10 and the child’s mother noticed concerning injuries on the baby’s face.
According to a probable cause arrest affidavit, the infant had suffered significant bruising, including marks that investigators said appeared consistent with being slapped.
Mother Notices Injuries After Picking Up Baby
The baby’s mother had dropped her off at Ortiz-Lopez’s home in the 1300 block of SE 41st Court in Summerfield at about 8 a.m.
Approximately five hours later, Ortiz-Lopez contacted the mother and asked her to pick up the baby because she was reportedly crying continuously and preventing other children at the home from sleeping.
Deputies said Ortiz-Lopez sounded desperate for the mother to come get the child.
When the mother arrived, she noticed bruising on the baby’s face and questioned the babysitter about what had happened.
According to investigators, Ortiz-Lopez claimed the baby had injured herself.
She allegedly told the mother that the infant had caused the injuries on her own and suggested that the mother bring mittens for the baby so she would not hurt herself.
The mother took the baby home and photographed the injuries before the child’s father contacted police and provided the photographs to deputies.
Police Describe Four Red Lines on Baby’s Face
Investigators said the photographs showed multiple injuries.
“In the photos I observed apparent bruising along the victim’s left cheek,” cops wrote. “I also observed four distinct red lines which would be consistent with a slap mark. On the victim’s nose, I observed swelling and more bruising which ran to underneath her eyes.”
The baby’s injuries were serious enough to prompt a medical examination.
Doctors who examined the infant at a hospital reportedly concluded that the injuries were likely inflicted by an adult, contradicting the explanation that the baby had caused them herself.
Deputies also noted that the bruising on the infant’s face was roughly the size of Ortiz-Lopez’s hand.
Babysitter Allegedly Gave Investigators Contradictory Explanations
Investigators later had the baby’s mother call Ortiz-Lopez while deputies listened to the conversation.
According to the affidavit, Ortiz-Lopez continued to deny hitting the baby.
During an interview with investigators, however, deputies said Ortiz-Lopez made several contradictory statements about how the injuries could have happened.
She initially said the baby had been covered with a blanket and that she did not see her immediately when the mother dropped her off.
Ortiz-Lopez later allegedly said she saw the infant rubbing her face with the blanket and suggested that this caused the bruising.
Deputies wrote that Ortiz-Lopez “never changed her attitude” during the investigation and appeared “very calm” despite being accused of abusing an infant.
Friend Had Previously Raised Concerns
The baby had only been staying at Ortiz-Lopez’s home for two days when the incident occurred. The childcare arrangement reportedly came through a mutual friend.
After learning about the baby’s injuries, the mother contacted that friend.
According to the affidavit, the friend said she had previously pulled her own children from Ortiz-Lopez’s care because she suspected the babysitter was hitting the children.
The friend reportedly said she had not contacted police because she was afraid of Ortiz-Lopez. The allegations involving other children were included in the affidavit, but the current case centered on the injuries suffered by the infant.
Ortiz-Lopez Will Not Return to Childcare
Ortiz-Lopez had already spent more than 160 days in jail, and she received credit for that time as part of her sentence.
She will now serve five years of probation rather than additional jail time under the terms of the case. The agreement also means her childcare days are over for children outside her own family.
The case highlights how quickly concerns about an infant’s injuries can lead to a criminal investigation, particularly when medical findings and physical evidence appear inconsistent with an explanation given by a caregiver.
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