A 27-year-old former Pre-K teacher in Las Cruces, New Mexico, has been charged with seven counts of intentional child abuse after surveillance footage allegedly showed her striking a young boy with objects including a metal chair leg. The incidents occurred on December 9, 2025, at the Discovery Development Center. Authorities noted the child did not suffer great bodily harm.
Jennifer Hernandez, a 27-year-old former employee at the Discovery Development Center in Las Cruces, New Mexico, was arrested on Wednesday and charged with seven counts of intentional child abuse, each a third-degree felony carrying potential sentences of up to three years in prison and fines of $5,000.
The investigation began in late February when parents reported that their son had been abused by a day care employee. Initially handled by the Dona Ana County Sheriff's Office, the case was referred to the Las Cruces Police Department because the victim resided outside city limits.
A detective reviewed surveillance footage from the facility, which captured several incidents of physical abuse against a boy under the age of 10 during the early morning of December 9, 2025. According to court documents obtained by local media, the footage showed Hernandez picking up a blue chair with metal legs and striking the boy in the chest with the metal chair leg. She also allegedly hit him in the face with an open hand and struck him in the head with a black and purple pointer until he fell to the ground.
Police emphasized that despite the nature of the alleged attacks, the boy did not sustain great bodily harm. The Discovery Development Center cooperated fully with investigators.
Hernandez was booked into the Dona Ana County Detention Center without bond but was no longer listed as an inmate by Friday afternoon. The investigation remains ongoing, with the possibility of additional charges.
