HOMEWOOD, Ill. (WLS) — A 58-year-old Homewood woman has been charged after being caught on camera putting a child in a garbage can at a south suburban day care last week.
Anna Petrou has been charged with child endangerment in the incident, Homewood police said Thursday.
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The incident was reported to police just before 9 p.m. Jan. 13.
Police said at about 1 p.m. that day, Petrou, who was an employee at Learning Lab day care, located in the 18700-block of Dixie Highway, placed a 4-year-old child in the alley of the day care for about 20 seconds.
The approximate temperature at the time of the incident was 19 degrees, police said.
Petrou then brought the child inside, and placed the victim inside of an empty garbage can as a form of punishment, police said.
Petrou has been released, pending a future court date.
The child’s parents previously said they were shocked by what they are calling outright cruelty
The parents say they didn’t learn about the incident until they picked up their son, and he mentioned to them the teacher put him in a garbage can because he didn’t want to take a nap.
Video from a camera in the Learning Lab day care shows a day care worker picking up the 4-year-old, and placing him in a garbage can.
The boy’s parents say other children and teachers witnessed the incident. And they are concerned about the psychological damage their son may have suffered as a result of the humiliation.
The boys’ parents say they were told the individual worker involved was fired. But, they are concerned that other teachers at the school witnessed the incident and failed to stop it, or even report it. The parents have used this day care for nearly two years. They will not be going back.
The parents say the teacher told them it was a joke.
The couple said they are grateful for their son telling them what happened. If not, they say they might have never found out.
The parents say they are now considering a civil lawsuit against the daycare.
The video in the player above is from an earlier report.
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