KENOSHA, Wis. — Following a months-long investigation, a former employee at Rising Stars Academy Day Care in Kenosha was arrested for child abuse.
Nour Althafir, 26, of Waukegan, Ill. was arrested Tuesday after parents of a two-year-old at the daycare reported the toddler came home with bruises on his back and arms.
Susan Onslow knew something wasn't right when her son Zayne came home from daycare with bruises on his arms in late April.
Kenosha police say surveillance video shows 26-year-old Nour Althafiri grabbing Zayne by his arm repeatedly and at times forcefully. They say she is seen holding the child to her face and shaking him, then later rolling a ball under a table multiple times for Zayne to retrieve.
According to court documents, Rising Stars Academy workers initially told the father that Zayne got stuck under a cabinet and had to be pulled out.
Althafiri admitted to police that she may have accidentally injured Zayne when picking him up by the arms but maintained that she did not intentionally roll the ball under a table.
Watch: Former Kenosha daycare employee charged with child abuse
Investigators were able to obtain surveillance footage from the full day of the event, showing Althafir grabbing the toddler by his arm at one point. At another time, she can be seen shaking him and bouncing him up and down quickly.
Althafir was charged in Kenosha County Court Thursday with one count of physical abuse of a child. If convicted, she could face a maximum of six years in prison.
Further incidents that are captured on surveillance video of the defendant act towards this child, so the state does have a very strong case," Xavier Solis, Kenosha County District Attorney, said.
"This is not a case where there's allegations of punching a child, kicking a child, striking a child," Carl Johnson, defense attorney, said.
The court set Althafiri's bond at $10,000.
The owner of Rising Stars Academy declined to comment. They released a statement saying that they are cooperating with law enforcement and the individual arrested is no longer employed there.
Onslow is grateful that action is being taken and believes no family should have to go through this.
This story was reported on-air by Mary Jo Ola and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
It’s about time to watch on your time. Stream local news and weather 24/7 by searching for “TMJ4” on your device.
Available for download on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and more.
