Overview

• Yvette Thurston, 54, was arrested on one count of first-degree aggravated battery and three counts of first-degree child abuse after the toddler arrived with visible facial injuries.
• Bond was set at $44,000 on all four charges and jail records show Thurston has since bonded out of Decatur County Jail.
• Investigators reviewed surveillance footage from Little Blessings Child Care that authorities say was central to pursuing the charges.
• The Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning opened an administrative review and confirmed that the church-affiliated daycare terminated the employee.
• The injured child received medical treatment at a local hospital and his father’s public disclosure of the injuries amplified national scrutiny.