Yuba City daycare owner arrested, charged with child abuse
By Lysée Mitri
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YUBA CITY, California (KCRA) — A Yuba City daycare owner is charged with child abuse and accused of grabbing one of the children in her care.
The Sutter County Sheriff’s Office said it arrested Rachel Raya last Wednesday after a mother reported that her son suffered from cuts and bruises.
“It’s every mom’s worst fear that you’re going to put your kid in daycare, and they’re going to get hurt,” Samantha Merryman said.
She showed pictures of her 3-year-old son, Sebastian, after she picked him up from daycare last week.
“It broke my heart that somebody would do that to a 3-year-old, to any kid of any age,” Merryman said.
The daycare, licensed to a woman named Rachel Raya, is run out of a home off Phillips Roads, where Merryman said the abuse happened.
“She said she was in the bathroom helping another kid go potty when there was a fight with a bigger kid and my son, and she pulled up his sleeve and showed me this huge bruise that was bigger than even my hand,” Merryman said.
However, she said when she pressed Raya about it later that day, the daycare owner had a different explanation for what happened.
“I was like, ‘You did it, didn’t you?’ And she’s like, ‘Yes,'” Merryman explained.
She said it happened after Sebastian rammed a toy into the fireplace.
“She lost her temper and grabbed him by the arm and then he fell and hit his head on the fireplace,” Merryman said.
The sheriff’s office also said Raya admitted to grabbing the child because she was upset. They arrested her Wednesday, and she was out on bail the next day.
When KCRA 3 News stopped by the daycare today, Raya answered the door but said, “I’m not speaking,” and promptly shut it.
The Sutter County District Attorney’s office said Raya is charged with misdemeanor child abuse and is scheduled to be in court on Oct. 17 at 9 a.m.
Records from the California Department of Social Services show Raya has had a licensed daycare since March. The department told KCRA 3 News that it is now investigating the matter and could not comment further.
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