BUCKS COUNTY, Pa. (KYW Newsradio) — A Bucks County nurse has been charged with abusing a child in her care. Among the allegations, the woman intentionally removed a tube that the child needs to breathe.
Cindy Dresser, 58, was working as an in-home nurse, providing overnight care for a 3-year-old with medical needs requiring around-the-clock care.
Bensalem Police Detective Sgt. Glenn Vandergrift said the mother checked video from a camera in the room after a doctor told her a bruise on her daughter’s leg looked like a thumbprint.
“This is every parent's worst nightmare, and if not for her diligent attention to her daughter and bruising found on her daughter and then going to look at the video she had, you know, who knows what could have happened to this child down the road.”
Per the affidavit of probable cause, the video shows Dresser slapping the child and aggressively throwing her around in the crib.
Vandergrift said one video showed Dresser removing the child’s tracheostomy, saying, “This is your fault,” while the 3-year-old is seen struggling to breathe.
“She eventually put it back in. But this is just horrific for any parent to see something like this on video of someone that's supposed to be caring for their child.”
Dresser is charged with felony endangering the welfare of a child. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for April 15. She is held on 10% of $2,000,000 bail.
