A Smithfield woman accused of child abuse and running an unlicensed daycare facility is scheduled to appear in court Wednesday.
Brooke Ashley Reiner, 26, was arrested Tuesday after an 8-month-old was taken to WakeMed with serious injuries. An arrest warrant indicates the infant had a brain bleed and needed emergency surgery.
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Reiner was charged with two counts of intentional child abuse inflicting serious bodily injury and one count of providing child care while unlicensed, resulting in serious injury to a child.
She is accused of throwing the baby onto a changing table and "slamming" the child's head against it, according to an arrest warrant. Additionally, the arrest warrant states the baby had injuries from being hit in the face, head and abdomen.
Director of SAFEchild NC, Rebeka Paredes, said abuse is more common than people think, and that there are warning signs parents sending their kid to daycare should look out for.
"There might be subtle changes. There might be, you know, bumps or bruises that are unexplained or don't make sense that they are there," Paredes said. "I think, also, just making sure that children really have this need to feel believed."
Paredes says when signs of abuse are harder to spot in a non-verbal child, turning to a doctor is sometimes the best option.
"If there's something that feels off, if there's something that they're seeing, it's appropriate for them to ask for help, and to see if somebody can help to look at that," Paredes explained.
Police said the baby remains hospitalized in serious condition.
Reiner is also accused of providing childcare while unlicensed at a Smithfield home on Cloverdale Drive. She is being held on a $5 million bond.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the Smithfield Police Department at 919-934-2121.