Blount County Daycare Worker Charged with Torture, Manager Faces Failure to Report

CLEVELAND, AL – A worker at a Blount County daycare has been arrested and charged with torturing a one-year-old girl, while the facility’s manager faces charges for allegedly failing to report the abuse. The arrests occurred Monday following an investigation into a report of child abuse at Blessings by Day daycare in Cleveland.

Police identified the arrested individuals as Christa Castleberry, 26, a worker at the daycare, and Elizabeth Payne, 29, the manager of the Cleveland location.

According to court records, the alleged abuse took place on August 20. Castleberry is accused of pushing the infant’s head into a cot four times, which resulted in an eye injury to the child. Payne is charged with failing to report this injury to law enforcement.

Both Castleberry and Payne were taken into custody on Monday. They have since been released from the Blount County Jail; Castleberry on a $15,000 bond and Payne on a $1,000 bond.

Blessings by Day operates two additional locations within the county, located in Oneonta and Blountsville.

The case remains under active investigation and is slated to be presented to a grand jury on October 27.