New jersey daycare worker charged for assaulting baby at home in lindenwold

LINDENWOLD, NJ – Acting Camden County Prosecutor Jill S. Mayer and Lindenwold Borough Police Chief Michael P. McCarthy, reported that 21-year-old Maggie Fruit of Somerdale, was charged Thursday with First Degree Attempted Murder and Third Degree Endangering the Welfare of a Child for physically assaulting a 1-year-old child, at a daycare center located on the 600 block of Chews Landing Road in Lindenwold on July 15, 2021.

At approximately 1:41 p.m., Camden County Central Communications received a 9-1-1 call in reference to a child being abused at the daycare center. When officers from the Lindenwold Police Department arrived at the scene, they were shown video surveillance that captured the incident. Additionally, officers interviewed witnesses who observed the incident, and were able to remove the child from Fruit, who has been an employee at the center for the past two months. The child was transported to a local hospital for examination and released.

Further investigation and review of video surveillance revealed Fruit being physically abusive to another 1-year-old child assigned to the same classroom approximately 30 minutes before the original incident. The child’s parents were notified and Fruit was subsequently charged with Endangering the Welfare of a Child. The child did not require a medical examination.

Fruit was charged and remanded to the Camden County Jail and is awaiting a pre-trial detention hearing.

Anyone with additional information is asked to call Detective Jovan Plaza at 856-225-8493 or Lindenwold Police Detective Joe Tomasetti at 856-784-7566. You can also email tips to ccpotips@ccprosecutor.org.

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