A 21-year-old teacher has pleaded guilty to abusing a 2-year-old girl at Lincoln-Marti School in southwest Miami-Dade. The incident occurred on the morning of December 9, when Merlin Gutierrez allegedly grabbed, shook, dragged, and repeatedly slapped the child across her head and body, according to an arrest report.
Surveillance footage from the classroom shows the child crying and screaming as Gutierrez confronts her and strikes her. The video then shows the teacher dragging the child to a table across the room after hitting her multiple times.
Gutierrez, who worked at the school located at 22165 Southwest 112th Avenue, was arrested following the incident. She has since pleaded guilty to one count of child abuse and was sentenced to five years of reporting probation. As part of a plea agreement, Gutierrez is not considered a convicted felon. However, she must complete an anger management course and undergo a mental health evaluation as part of her sentence.
