Babysitter Acquitted of Child Abuse Charges in Miami-Dade Court

Acquittal in Child Abuse Case

• ⚖️ Leonor Garcia, a Miami-Dade babysitter accused of causing a 7-year-old girl a brain bleed, was found not guilty of aggravated child abuse and child abuse charges.
• ⏱️ The jury deliberated for four and a half hours before reaching their verdict.

Prosecution's Case

• 🥄 Garcia was accused of using a metal serving spoon to repeatedly beat the child over the head and shoulder.
• 🤕 The state alleged that these repeated blows caused the child's brain bleed, which required surgical draining.

Defense Arguments

• 🤕 The defense argued that the child's head injury predated the alleged abuse, attributing it to an injury sustained in Cuba from cartwheels gone wrong.
• 🗣️ They also suggested the abuse story was fabricated out of fear that the child would be separated from her parents.
• 🚫 Garcia herself testified, stating she never touched the child.

Verdict and Reactions

• 😮 Jurors appeared to side with Garcia's defense over the child's testimony.
• 😥 The victim's mother was described as stoic and left the courtroom without comment, stating she knew this would happen.
• 🗣️ The defense attorney expressed that while they have sympathy for the child, their job was to look at the evidence.
• ⚖️ Garcia, facing a potential 30-year prison sentence for a first-degree felony, is now free.
• 📰 Reporting by Leanne Morong for Local 10 News in Miami.