On July 7th, 2025, officers were called to a preschool in Orange City, Florida after a mother reported that her toddler had been physically abused by one of the teachers. About a week earlier, the child had told her mother about the abuse, who initially dismissed it thinking it was incidental. But after a few days pass, the 3-year-old was still hesitant to return and kept mentioning how her teacher was mean to her. This prompted the parents and admin of the preschool to review security footage from the room. The investigation quickly uncovered surveillance footage confirming multiple instances of physical aggression by the teacher toward the child. After reviewing the evidence, officers head over to the suspect's house to arrest her. She probably don't even use this door. There's boxes in front of the door. Hi, can you come out for me? Can you step out for me? Am I being arrested? Will you step out for me? I need to call my I'll let you call somebody in a minute. Okay. All right, will step out for me. You don't need to do this in front of my granddaughter. Okay. Come out for me. Is your granddaughter here? Yes. Okay. All right, come this way. Please, don't do this in front of her. If you want to we can walk this way if you want to sit inside. She's going to be alone. No, we will call somebody for you to come. I have my phone right here. No, you're going to be put in handcuffs and then we'll let you call somebody, okay? Handcuffs? Yes. >> She's going to see it. What? What does she have to see this? Just walk that way. Are you kidding me? Walk that way for me. Why does she have to see this? She's inside. She's not going to see anything. That's why we're making you walk over here, okay? How old is your granddaughter? She's only five. Where's her mom? Oh, she's being flown away right now. She's being flown away? Yeah, she's being flown to Miami here with my son. They have to have her going on the cruise for the weekend. Okay. Where is your husband, ma'am? Or is he at work? Yes. Okay. So, he left you with your granddaughter? Yes. Okay. Where does he work at? At the preschool. How many years have you worked at the preschool? What's the charge? Child abuse. Child abuse? Yes, same charges I told you about yesterday. We watched the footage. Did you see the footage? I did. It does not show what you're telling me. How does it not? It's what happened. Okay. If you want to keep talking to me, that's fine. I just want to read you your rights, okay? >> What What Can I call my husband so he could be on his way? Do you know your husband's phone number? Not by heart. It's in my phone. Okay. Where's your phone at? It's It's right there on the table. Can we come away from the public? Can we just stand in here? Can you Can I And you said you don't want your granddaughter to see it. You can have a seat right here if you want on the on the chair. Okay. Is it on the table? It's right there on the table. Oh, no, she has it. Oh. Oh, lord. Yeah, she has it. You want to go ahead and sit on the chair? Yeah, turn it. Can you Can you guys call the the on your phone? Yes, I can. We can just call the office. They'll call him. You want to go ahead and sit? >> Yeah, I will sit on the chair. I'm not going to go anywhere. Doing this I don't understand. I'm going to have Officer Soto read you your rights first before we keep talking, okay? Just cuz it's a requirement, all right? I obviously will talk to you. I just want to make sure that >> stop calling my husband so he can be on his way? That's what we're going to do that now. Tell him they have to the office has to put him on the phone and he can come so I can tell him what's going on. Cuz if he doesn't know what's going on, he's not going to come. He doesn't know. Tell them to tell him it's an emergency. He needs to come on the phone. >> Okay. I'm going to read you something, okay? Yeah. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in court. You have the right to have an attorney with you. Having these rights in mind, do you wish to answer any questions or make a statement at this time? No, I didn't I wasn't listening, but it's okay. No. No, you don't want to talk or that you don't understand your rights. Do you want me to read them again? Okay. Okay. All right, just want to make I don't understand. How did you not see what I said on the footage? I don't understand. I pulled I tugged on her hair. If you're telling me you don't want to talk to me, I can't talk to you. I do want to talk to you. Okay. All right, I just want to make sure. >> I do want to talk to you. I don't understand. How did you you not see? I tugged on her I don't know what is that trying to get in my I tugged on her hair. If you saw it, I think we were having snack or something and I was telling her about pulling the hair. That's all that happened. The suspect claims she didn't harm the child and was only demonstrating the action to teach her a lesson. Yet the footage clearly shows she was far more forceful than she claimed. >> Okay. It just didn't happen the way you're explaining it and I understand you're you're admitting that you pulled her hair, but you pulled her hair pretty hard and you made her fall to the ground. >> was sitting down. She Was she not sitting down? >> No, she was standing. I could have remembered it she was sitting down, but she didn't cry. Did she cry in the video? You can't see in the video cuz her face is down pointing down. She was sitting down. We were eating either snack or lunch when it happened, if I remember correctly. I I I never got the opportunity to see the video. Diane refused me to see it. >> ask Diane to see it? >> Yes. Okay. I asked her to see it, but I've never seen it. She refused to let me see it. Am I going to be able to get dressed? >> You're You'll go like that. >> No way. Can I just put on a T-shirt and sweats? I don't have no clothes underneath, ma'am. >> No, I understand, but they're going to change you anyways when you get to the jail. >> want to go like this. This is a nightgown. I could just I might even I can't You guys can even help me get dressed. I don't need to come out of cuffs. All right. I can tell you where everything is. Just a T-shirt over. That's fine. I'll work with you. I need to see if he's getting in touch with He's He's getting He's trying, okay? And then we'll get some shoes on you as well, okay? Yeah. Let Let's try something else. Call my son. Do you have your son's phone number? >> Yeah. Okay. Hopefully he'll pick up. >> Your call has been forwarded to voicemail. The person you're trying to reach is not available. At the tone Brother Daniel Can you You don't know his number by No, I don't want to I can't have him come out here. Who else can you call? I don't know nobody else's They're all the numbers are on my phone that she's watching videos on. Can you go in there Can somebody Maybe somebody talk to her and keeps her in there and the other person tells her I need the phone really quick. I mean, we don't even have to bring the phone out here, but I can just get the number. I can just take the number from her and then I just come back out here. >> Yeah, this is crazy. Am I going to be able to bond out? Do you know? Probably, right? Well, I have to look at the exact warrant if there is a bond. I'm not sure if there's a bond or not. I can't tell you that right now. Until I I look at the warrant. So, child abuse? Is that the charge? This has never happened to me in my life. I've never been in problems with a child. I worked in daycare all my life. Did you see the footage? Was this this morning you guys saw footage the footage or yesterday? For what now? >> Did you guys see the footage this morning or was it yesterday? Oh, I didn't see it this morning. I saw it a few days ago. Oh, you saw it a few Who's Did she see it this morning? >> I'm not sure when she saw it. >> It's crazy. But they're trying to get in contact with your husband regarding Do you say he's at work right now? Do you know how he can bond? Uh yeah, let me look at the paper. Just just keep keep on, please. You should have a bond though. These cuffs are really hurting me so bad. I have a problem with this shoulder. I don't need to be cuffed. I'm not going anywhere. I'm not I mean, I'm I'm going to go with you guys. >> That's unfortunate. It's just part of the process, okay? I understand you're saying you're not going to go anywhere, but it's just how we do everything through here. Hey, I have your your wife here. I'm going to put her on the phone. I need you to get in your car and come over here right now because they have to take me in and I can't leave by herself. Okay, I'll be right I'll leave right now. >> Hurry up. Okay. Okay. Thank you. It'll just take him like maybe five or seven minutes. That's fine. We know it's right there. So, you have no bond until first appearance. >> 11 Bravo 10 on Ocean >> No way. >> So, you'll have first appearance later today. Oh. >> Cuz you missed this morning's first appearance. Oh. So, first appearance is today? You'll have another You'll have another first appearance today, yes. >> What time? Do you know? Usually they do it around 1:00 2:00. So, 1:00 2:00 Will that be in court or TV something? In court? Yeah. So, they'll transport you to the courthouse and you'll go to court. Or actually, I don't even know how they do it now. They might even do it at the jail. >> Because I have I have other teachers that want to vouch for me and are willing to come to the court. >> Okay, well, that doesn't have to do with first appearance. That's after first appearance. Oh, okay. >> First appearance is just to discuss everything and then they'll set another court hearing. And then you'll go to court for that. Okay. So, who wanted to file the charges with this The parents. The police. It's not the school. The parents. Who saw the footage today? >> I saw it yesterday. Who was there? Joanne or Diane? Or both? Uh they both were there. So, they knew that I was going to get arrested. >> I mean, they had an idea. I mean, I didn't tell them we were going to arrest them cuz I'm not required to tell them, but I mean, I'm sure they had an idea about it. >> I worked for that school for almost seven years. Yeah, I saw it was since 2019. Yeah, I did so. I did all of that. I mean, it wasn't the school's fault. The school was amazing, but it's just the way everything worked out for me. It was at my end. I just finished school and I was going to work for Trinity for Trinity Academy. >> I was going to say why did you put your two weeks in? Cuz they said you put your two weeks in. Because of that. Because I just got hired at Trinity. At Trinity. And that was my dream job, which I probably don't know if I'll get because of this. You don't know if I'll be able to work in school ever again. >> That I have no idea. I can't tell you yes or no. That would be up to the school if they want to allow it and what happens with the charge. >> Will I be able to get dressed? Will you allow me to get dressed? We'll let you get dressed. Okay. I mean, I know I'm going to get that uniform thing at the jail, but I mean, I'm just walking in like that with my nightgown and all. I don't know if they allow me to leave the bra my bra on with the uniform. Do you know? Sometimes they do, sometimes they don't. I don't think they do, but they might give you a bra. I don't think they do, but we'll probably give you something over there to replace it, but I'm pretty sure they won't let you keep it on. I was thinking like I don't wear anything. I'm not sure. They've changed stuff so much over the past couple years. At least nothing with wires or nothing for Yeah, that's good to know. Oh my goodness. I have specific guidelines I have to follow, but at the end of the day the judge can make the ultimate decision on what the what the bond is. Oh. Or if they want you to stay in. I don't think I don't think you're a threat to society, so I don't see them keeping you incarcerated until the court date. So, you'll probably get a bond most likely. You'll probably have certain restrictions like you can't have any firearms, things like that, any weapons, any ammo, anything. Obviously where you're staying, things like that, that'll probably be put in place. I I can't go out of my house, like out of the state? >> That you'll have to ask. >> I mean, I wasn't planning to go out of the state, but we we just had things planned with my granddaughter like barbecues at my niece's in Kissimmee, but everything is in Florida. You should be fine and as long as as long as the judge is okay with it. So, it looks like they put in here for your release if they were to give you a bond, it says no weapons, no contact with the victim and/or her family, and no unsupervised contact with unrelated minors. So, unrelated would be unrelated to you, that's the way I would understand As long as they're not related to me. I would think. I would verify that with the judge. That way you have a better understanding, but that's what I'm gathering from what the judge put in here. So, so what's the bond? Is that the bond? No, this is no bond. No bond until first appearance. >> Oh, okay. So, you have to go to first appearance, but you'll be able to ask the judge questions in first appearance. Just ask as many questions as you want to ask, that way they can answer them for you in full depth. Okay. You know, this is a very good reason to sue that school. I really believe because just the way the way the whole thing went happened is so unfair to me, and I really believe this has happened not I don't know about like this drastic, but like other teachers they got written up if they hit a child or one of the other teachers I'm not throwing nobody under the bus, but she pulled him roughly by the arm, and they just get written up. They just got written up by Diane. No one's ever called DCF or Diane tried to talk the parent out of it, you know, she talked them down. It's okay, I'll handle it, but none of this was done with me, and I know it was because I wanted to leave because I put my notice in. It wasn't a 2-weeks notice. I gave them 30-day notice because I offered to keep to prepare my class before I left, and I did. I have the lesson plans right there on my table that I just did. 4 weeks of lesson plans for August, which no teacher ever does, but I gave her a 30-day notice, and she constantly kept trying to convince me not to leave. She kept, you know, she wanted to match what Trinity was offering. We'll give you the raise, we'll do 17, what are they offering? Constantly bringing me in the office to try to convince me not to go, and I and I and I explained to her that it had nothing to do with the job. It's just it was room for me to move up at Trinity. There's no room at a preschool to move up. You know, I wanted to one day experience working with, you know, three third graders, fourth graders. You can't do that at a preschool, but she wouldn't understand that. And I knew she was very upset that I wanted to leave, and they were fishing for something. They were fishing until this happened, unfortunately, and she jumped right on it. And the way she dismissed me and told me to just get off the property and didn't even allow me to see the footage. I think it's against the law. I >> Yeah, you have to understand she's not required to show you the footage. >> She's not? >> She's not required to show you the footage. How do I How do I defend myself then? I didn't see it. I didn't see the footage. If you get an attorney, then an attorney should be able to get a copy of it so they can review it. So, I'll be able to >> But at But at the end of the day, you have to understand too that they have specific guidelines that they have to follow. I know, she mentioned that. >> DCF, they're required to contact law enforcement for certain things. So, they do have, you know, different things they have to follow as well. I think the parents were really adamant, and the parents were the ones that brought it to the office's attention as they ultimately had no idea what happened until the parents came in and had spoken, and then they went for the video surveillance as to what happened. Yeah, that's what she said. I still feel if I wasn't leaving Emmaus, Diane would have she would have talked them down. She So, you're saying they've talked other parents down in the past? Uh I I believe so. You believe or you know? I believe, I'm not sure. I know that it's happened where the the Let me talk to him to tell him what to do with my granddaughter. Do you want him to grab your clothes or do you want me to grab your clothes? Where am I going to get dressed at? I mean I can't go in my bathroom? I mean, we're not going to take the handcuffs off of you, you know. If I don't? >> We can handcuff you up front. Yeah. All right, I'm okay. I'm okay. We just need to do this as quickly as possible. Yeah. in her room with my phone cuz she was just looking at videos so she didn't have to see this. I'm going to let me get dressed, but they do have to take me in. I don't go to court until 1:00 this afternoon anyway. Yeah. So, how do you get a bondsman? Yeah, you contact a bondsman. Yeah, that's who you get processed at the jail. >> you got to do. You You have the money, call Gary or whoever you need to call, whoever you need to call, and just try to try to be positive with I mean, she You want to put her in and make sure the door's shut so we walk her inside so she can get dressed so she doesn't see her? Yeah, go in the room with You know what you're going to say? Just say You got to go. You got to go someplace. Yeah, I got to go someplace to show the officers something. All right, try to stand up. Try to stand up. Do you want to take the jacket off of you or or the robe? Thank you. I'm going to handcuff you in the front, okay? Oh my goodness, my shoulder's hurting so bad right now. All right, and turn around, face me. Do you want to take your robe off, and then I'll toss it back on you? Yeah. Give me your hands. I got to take off the robe, right? I'm going to have Can you turn that down a little? What is it? All right, and go straight to this car with me. Watch your head. Zada Bayala was charged with cruelty toward a child and child abuse without great bodily harm. A warrant for her arrest was subsequently obtained.