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Michigan Childcare Worker Convicted of Abusing 10-Month-Old Caught on Surveillance

Prosecutors say facility video, paired with a co-worker's report, underpinned the verdict.

Overview

  • A Macomb County jury found 31-year-old Samantha Franz guilty of second- and fourth-degree child abuse after a three-day trial.
  • Surveillance recordings showed her swinging the infant, carrying the child by the arms, dropping her into a crib, and forcefully pushing in a pacifier.
  • The investigation began when a co-worker reported Franz for using excessive force on the child.
  • Sentencing is set for Jan. 15, 2026, before Judge Michael E. Servitto in Macomb County Circuit Court.
  • Macomb County Prosecutor Peter J. Lucido condemned the abuse and thanked jurors for their attention to the facts.