Mom of sleeping toddler kicked by Rosenberg daycare worker speaks out

ROSENBERG, TX (KTRK) -- The mother of a 2-year-old boy who police say was kicked repeatedly while asleep at day care says she was infuriated when she found out what allegedly happened to him.

"It's disgusting. I'm just glad that she's not gonna work in child care anymore," said Liberty Cadena.

On Tuesday, Sandra Petrosky Cernoch, 54, was arrested by Rosenberg Police. In January, she was accused of kicking a child several times as the boy was napping at Good Beginnings Day Care in the 1200 block of 4th Street in Rosenberg. She allegedly hit him so hard he had bruises.

A police report says another employee allegedly witnessed this happening and told the daycare director, who then told Cadena. The family called police.

Cadena says she hasn't seen the video. She's a member of local law enforcement and says justice will be served. She wonders still what might have been going through Cernoch's mind.

"You always wonder but you cant get all crazy over it. It'd be nice to know but then again it would probably just make me mad," she said.

Good Beginnings owner Angie Womble says she fired Cernoch after she saw surveillance video of the alleged attack.

"My heart just sunk. It just sunk. I couldn't believe it and I knew I had to do something," Womble said.

Womble said Cernoch told her she "couldn't deny" what she did.

Christine Carter, an upset grandparent, said, "I'm happy she's gone. Because these children, they don't deserve that."

Cernoch is charged with a second-degree felony of injury to a child. She posted $15,000 bond Wednesday and is now out of custody awaiting trial.

In the meantime, other parents want to make sure she's never around kids ever again.

"These are innocent children and we trusted her," Carter said. "She hurt them."

Most parents say they do plan on keeping their kids in the daycare because they do still support the daycare and say even though this woman is accused of doing this, it's not the daycare's fault and immediately took action to get rid of her.

To find reputable child care, start with these requirements by the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services.