A 29-year-old Anaheim nanny faces multiple felony charges after being accused of repeatedly abusing a 2-month-old infant in Irvine, authorities said. Prosecutors announced that Iara Dossantos Bomfim has been charged with 10 felony counts of child abuse following an investigation into home surveillance footage.
According to the Orange County district attorney’s office, Bomfim utilized the online care-giving platform Care.com to market her child-care services to local families. Investigators stated that the suspect fled the United States for her native Brazil on July 12, the day after the infant’s mother discovered disturbing video evidence on a home security camera.
The case came to light when the baby’s mother heard her son crying continuously from the nursery and contacted Bomfim to ask if everything was all right. Prosecutors said Bomfim assured the mother that the infant was fine. Suspicious, the mother reviewed the home surveillance footage and allegedly observed Bomfim sitting on a yoga ball while violently bouncing the child, permitting his head and neck to swing back and forth. The video further showed the caregiver allegedly striking the infant in the back of the head with a closed fist.
Subsequent reviews of 30 days of home surveillance recordings revealed a pattern of alleged abuse spanning a three-week period beginning in late June, when the victim was just 2 months and 10 days old. Prosecutors stated that the footage captured Bomfim repeatedly punching, hitting, and shaking the baby. Additional incidents visible in the recordings included the infant falling headfirst off a bed while under Bomfim’s care, as well as an instance where she was seen forcefully throwing the child onto a bed.
Following the discovery of the video and Bomfim’s subsequent departure to Brazil, Irvine Police Department detectives coordinated the investigation. Authorities arrested Bomfim last week when she returned to the United States and attempted to establish a new profile on Care.com under a different identity.
Orange County Dist. Atty. Todd Spitzer condemned the actions in a public statement. This family’s nightmare began the moment a monster disguised as a loving nanny walked through their front door with open arms to care for their brand-new baby, Spitzer said, adding that anyone trusted around children must be thoroughly vetted and suspicious behavior immediately reported to law enforcement.
Representatives for Care.com confirmed that the platform permanently removed Bomfim upon learning of the allegations. Caroline Edwards, a spokesperson for the company, stated that automated security systems successfully blocked the suspect’s subsequent attempts to create new accounts and that the company immediately alerted law enforcement to those efforts. Edwards expressed deep concern over the allegations and stated that the company remains fully cooperative with the ongoing police investigation.
Bomfim has entered a plea of not guilty to all charges and is currently being held at a bail amount of $500,000. If convicted on all 10 felony counts, she faces a maximum sentence of 18 years in state prison.
