Jennifer Hernandez, a 27-year-old former Pre-K teacher at Discovery Development Center in Las Cruces, New Mexico, faces seven felony counts of intentional child abuse for allegedly assaulting a young boy caught on security footage.
Incident Details
On the morning of December 9, 2025, footage reportedly showed Hernandez striking the child under age 10 in the chest with a blue metal-legged chair, slapping his face with an open hand, and hitting his head and body with a black-and-purple pointer until he fell. The abuse was uncovered after the boy’s parents reported suspected mistreatment, prompting a joint Dona Ana County Sheriff’s Office and Las Cruces Police Department investigation.
Legal Status
Each third-degree felony carries up to three years in prison and $5,000 fines. Arrested Wednesday and briefly held without bond in Dona Ana County Detention Center, Hernandez was released by Friday; the case remains open with possible additional charges. The daycare cooperated fully, and the boy sustained no great bodily harm.
