Day care provider speaks to KSL-TV about abuse allegations

SALT LAKE CITY –  A woman running an unlicensed day care out of her Salt Lake City home faces child abuse charges after police say she broke a boy’s legs. According to court papers, she admitted to police that she hurt the boy in her care, but she told KSL-TV a different story.

According to court papers, doctors at Primary Children’s Medical Center treated a child for two broken legs below the knees last Friday. The hospital contacted the police because it looked like abuse.

Monday, police arrestedElvira Ortega, 66, on suspicion of child abuse.

“It was an unlicensed daycare,” said Detective Greg Wilking with the Salt Lake City Police Department. “She and another family member were watching over these kids.”

According to the probable cause statement from court, Ortega “admitted post Miranda to slamming the child down on the bathroom floor, feet first, fracturing both legs.”

However, Ortega denied that while speaking with KSL-TV Wednesday at her door with her granddaughter translating from Spanish to English. Ortega said the 8-month-old boy was crying when his grandmother dropped him off Thursday morning.

“He would come here in the morning and cry and cry,” she said. She said she lightly smacked the child on the bottom.

Later, Ortega said she was washing the boy’s face, and stood him by the sink, but she said didn’t do it hard enough to hurt the boy.

Ortega said the boy was fine when he went home on Thursday. She said the parents brought him by on Friday, before going to the hospital, and she said he was crawling and standing.

Police will move ahead with screening formal charges with prosecutors.

“Based on the physical evidence with the injuries and statements made, we felt there was enough information there to make an arrest for child abuse,” Wilking said.

Police advise parents to research anybody who is going to care for their kids, making sure they are licensed and properly trained.

“This is a case where somebody that was untrained is taking care of the kids, and as a result the kid got hurt,” said Wilking.

Ortega said she’s been looking after kids in the neighborhood for a long time. She told the investigators that she would rather be deported than go to jail.  She said the same thing to KSL-TV.

“Because she doesn’t want to go to jail,” Ortega’s granddaughter said.