Inset: Viviana Ortiz-Lopez (Marion County Jail). Background: The 1300 block of SE 41st Court in Summerfield, Florida, where Ortiz-Lopez allegedly abused a baby (Google Maps).
A Florida babysitter allegedly struck an infant in the face, causing bruising and “four distinct red lines which would be consistent with a slap mark.”
Viviana Ortiz-Lopez, 30, stands accused of child abuse without great bodily harm. The Marion County Sheriff”s Office wrote in a probable cause arrest affidavit obtained by Law&Crime that the girl suffered “significant bruising to the face.” Her father later told deputies that his wife picked the girl up from Ortiz-Lopez’s home around 1 p.m. Tuesday and noticed the injuries, the affidavit stated.
Ortiz-Lopez told the mom that the baby inflicted the injuries on herself, cops said. Ortiz-Lopez also allegedly said the mom should bring mittens for the baby so she wouldn’t hurt herself.
The mother brought the girl back home and took photos of the injuries. The father contacted the police and gave them the photos.
“In the photos I observed apparent bruising along the victim’s left cheek,” cops wrote. “I also observed four distinct red lines which would be consistent with a slap mark. On the victim’s nose, I observed swelling and more bruising which ran to underneath her eyes.”
According to the affidavit, the mother dropped the girl off at Ortiz-Lopez’s home in the 1300 block of SE 41st Court in Summerfield around 8 a.m. About five hours later, Ortiz-Lopez called the mom and told her to come pick the girl up “due to her non-stop crying and not allowing the other children at the location to sleep,” deputies wrote.
The defendant “sounded desperate for her to come to come get the victim,” the affidavit said. As the mother questioned Ortiz-Lopez about the bruising, she continued to insist the baby did it to herself, according to cops.
The baby had only been going to the defendant’s home for two days after being recommended by a mutual friend. After the incident, the mom called her friend, who said she had to pull her kids out because she suspected Ortiz-Lopez was hitting the kids. The friend said she didn’t contact cops because she was fearful of the defendant, according to the affidavit.
Doctors who examined the baby at the hospital concluded the injuries were likely inflicted by an adult.
Deputies had the mother call Ortiz-Lopez while they were listening in, but the defendant continued to say she didn’t hit the baby. In an interview with investigators, Ortiz-Lopez allegedly made several “contradictory statements,” first saying the baby was covered with a blanket and she didn’t see her at first when the mother dropped her off. Then, Ortiz-Lopez said she saw the baby rubbing her face with the blanket and that is what caused the bruises.
Ortiz-Lopez “never changed her attitude” and appeared “very calm” even though she was being accused of abusing a baby.
Deputies noted that the bruising on the baby’s face was roughly the size of the defendant’s hand. She was arrested and taken to the Marion County Jail.
