Day Care Workers Caught on Camera Assaulting Preschoolers, Police Report Reveals

In a disturbing turn of events, two day care workers from Illinois have been apprehended following accusations of abusing children under their care. The alleged incidents, captured on surveillance, reportedly show the workers striking children with a notebook and other items, slapping them, and dragging them across the floor. The suspects, identified as Jessica Murillo, aged 36, and Izabella Thompson, aged 23, were detained this week and now face a series of charges related to these accusations.

Murillo has been charged with three felony counts of aggravated battery and 12 misdemeanor counts of battery for actions deemed insulting or provocative physical contact. Thompson, on the other hand, is charged with four misdemeanor counts of battery under similar circumstances.

Both Murillo and Thompson were employed at A Mother’s Touch Learning Academy, situated on Rand Road in Des Plaines, approximately 15 miles from Chicago. The alleged abuse took place in early to mid-November, as detailed in a news release from the Des Plaines Police Department.

The investigation unfolded after a concerned parent reported an incident to the day care’s directors, claiming that a child care provider had sprayed a child in the face with water. This prompted the directors to conduct an internal review, including scrutinizing surveillance footage and notifying the state Department of Child and Family Services. Consequently, both Murillo and Thompson were suspended from their positions pending the investigation.

According to the police statement, the day care directors uncovered further video evidence revealing multiple instances of abuse involving Murillo and Thompson, dated between November 3 and November 19, 2025. On November 24, 2025, the directors, along with a parent of one of the affected children, formally reported the findings to the Des Plaines Police Department.

The department investigated and learned that Murillo and Thompson had allegedly battered a total of seven boys between the ages of 4 and 5. Police said that while the “nature of the contact varied,” none of the children suffered severe physical injuries or required medical attention.

The charges against Murillo involve allegations of her “striking a child in the face with a notebook, dragging a 4-year-old male across the floor by his foot (causing his head to strike the ground), and striking another child in the face multiple times with an open hand.” She is currently scheduled to make her first appearance at the Second District Municipal Court in Skokie on Wednesday.

Police did not include any specifics about the allegations against Thompson. She is currently scheduled to appear in court on March 30.

“Our hearts go out to the children and families affected by this troubling case,” Des Plaines Police Chief David Anderson said in a statement. “This was a painful breach of trust by individuals entrusted with the care of young children. I want to thank the directors and staff of A Mother’s Touch Day Care for acting quickly, alerting authorities, and fully cooperating with our investigators.”