Woman charged with harming children at Des Plaines day care released

A judge Wednesday denied prosecutors' motion to detain a former day care worker they allege physically and verbally abused young children at a Des Plaines facility.

Jessica Murillo, 36, of Morton Grove is charged with felony aggravated battery and misdemeanor battery of multiple children age 5 and younger.

“It’s obviously extremely disturbing to hear these allegations. This is a parent's worst nightmare,” Cook County Judge Michele Gemskie said after a lengthy detention hearing.

However, Gemskie found that prosecutors did not meet the burden to require pretrial detention under state law.

Instead, the judge released Murillo with conditions, including a prohibition on any contact with the accusers, their parents or guardians. She also ordered Murillo to stay away from the day care center and have no contact with anyone under age 18, except for family members with supervision by another adult.

Cook County prosecutors say surveillance cameras captured the defendant “either physically harming or verbally harming” 10 children age five and younger at A Mother's Touch day care in Des Plaines.

Murillo “carried out this course of conduct repeated and persistently for at least eight days” in November, according to Assistant Cook County State's Attorney Alyssa Bauer.

Murillo and another employee charged with misdemeanor battery were suspended and subsequently fired, prosecutors said.

Defense attorney William Luby argued against his client's detention as the complaints against her did not result in bodily harm.

“Marks, bruises, none of that is present or has been proffered at this point,” Luby said, adding that Murillo has no criminal background and does not pose a threat to society.

“She is a teacher who has an unblemished record,” he said.

According to prosecutors, a father of one of the children and A Mother's Touch directors reported to Des Plaines in November that a teacher had sprayed a child with water. The directors reviewed video footage that showed “the defendant and another employee battering a child,” Bauer said.

Among the allegations against Murillo is that on Nov. 5 she grabbed a boy by his foot, causing him to fall and hit his head on the floor, Bauer said.

A second charge alleges that on Nov. 6, Murillo grabbed a boy by the arm, pulled him to the ground and struck him in the face four times with a notebook, according to Bauer. Murillo also slapped him in the face with the back of her hand, she said.

Another count alleges that on Nov. 18, Murillo grabbed a 4-year-old's hand and “appeared to twist it causing the child to lean over in pain,” Bauer said. Surveillance video shows the defendant “wrapping her legs around the boy's neck and striking him on the buttocks with a book when he tried to get free,” Bauer said.

Murillo is scheduled to return to court March 24. Co-defendant Izabella Thompson, 23, of Chicago, is scheduled to appear in court March 30 to face four misdemeanor counts of battery.