Child care worker accused of abusing 6 infants bonds out of jail
By Matt Leonard
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MARION COUNTY, Florida (WESH) — A day care employee in Ocala has been arrested and charged with child abuse after investigators say they uncovered multiple incidents of abuse over the past few months.
According to the Ocala Police Department, Karla Penalverty-Gonzalez, 33, was arrested on Monday, July 14, after an investigation into the alleged mistreatment of six infants at the All Stars Learning Academy at 2441 West Silver Springs Blvd.
Ocala police said these incidents spanned from March-July 2025, and the infants were between the ages of 4 months and 9 months old.
Several incidents of physical harm to the children were alleged, including forced feeding, violent shaking, rough handling and near-suffocation. A video recording provided to investigators by an employee depicted at least one event of child abuse.
Supervisors were told about these incidents, but the police department said no appropriate actions were taken to address the allegations in a timely manner.
Ocala police said Penalverty-Gonzalez actively resisted during her arrest but was taken into custody and transported to the Marion County Jail, where she remains as of 6:30 p.m. Tuesday.
She was being held on $20,500 total bond for eight counts of child abuse without great bodily harm and one count of resisting an officer without violence. She has since bonded out.
The investigation is ongoing as detectives review how the day care’s management responded to the complaints about these incidents.
The Department of Children and Families has been informed of these allegations, and staff at the day care will be required to undergo remedial training. Ocala police said Penalverty-Gonzalez began working at the day care in July 2024.
Ocala police are asking anyone with additional information or who may have witnessed related incidents to contact Detective Pfeifer at 352-369-7000.
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