A lady was detained in Ansonia after a 3-year-old toddler had an arm injury.
Mary Durso-Smith, 32, of New Haven, was detained on Wednesday on a warrant. According to Ansonia police, the incident took place on March 25 at the Mead School.
The child went to Mead school.
Durso-Smith, a pre-K special education teacher, had been at the school for nearly a year, according to her arrest warrant.
The superintendent at Ansonia confirmed that she was no longer employed there.
“The student sustained an arm injury that necessitated surgical intervention,” Ansonia stated in their report. “During the course of the investigation there was video of the incident which led the investigating officer to determine the incident was not accidental.”
According to police, the footage will not be disclosed because the matter is still ongoing in court.
However, the warrant stated that the event was reported to police by the school’s principal.
According to the principal, Durso-Smith initially reported that the youngster fell on the school’s playground, but this was not supported by surveillance video.
The principal stated that the footage showed the boy walking up a slide in the wrong direction and Durso-Smith yanking him off by the arm.
Later, the child’s arm looked to dangle.
According to the school nurse, the child appears to have a dislocated arm.
Staff at Yale New Haven Hospital, on the other hand, stated that the boy had a fracture to his humerus’ left lateral condyle, necessitating surgical intervention.
DCF and a team of experts at Yale New Haven analysed the footage and the boy’s medical records, determining that his arm was likely fractured when he fell and then dislocated when dragged.
The attorney representing the young boy’s family has expressed shock.
“It was completely unexpected.” “He went to school one day and ended up in the hospital,” said Ed Walsh, an attorney.
He claims the child has returned to school, but not without some difficulties. At this point, he is doing so despite an obvious physical impairment. He has had two surgeries thus far. “The family is concerned because it is likely that he will be permanently disabled for the rest of his life as a result of this,” Walsh added.
According to Walsh, the family intends to sue both the city and the district.
“They intend to file a civil action against the town and the Board of Education and the teacher,” he informed us.
Two days following the report, police requested Durso-Smith’s statement. She stated that her lawyer had instructed her not to make any comments.
Police decided there was enough probable cause to charge her.
Durso-Smith was charged with second-degree assault and endangering the safety of others.
She was released on a $50,000 bond and has an arraignment scheduled on Thursday in Derby Court.
Durso-Smith was given a continuance until June 24 to hire a lawyer. She was told not to contact the boy or his family.
She is now bonded out.
Reference: Injury to 3-year-old child leads to woman’s arrest in Ansonia