Preschool Staff Member Arrested After Allegedly Pushing Child, Assaulting Another Student, Sheriff Says

A staff member at a Virginia preschool facility was arrested after she allegedly assaulted two children, officials said.

The Loudon County Sheriff’s Office said they arrested 9-year-old Mariah Clara Prieto, of Ashburn, on Nov. 4 and charged her with cruelty and injuries to children as well as assault for the two alleged incidents.

According to the sheriff’s office, on Oct. 26, Child Protective Services notified deputies that a staff member at the Karter School of Cascades in Sterling allegedly assaulted a child five days earlier.

“Upon investigating, detectives determined that a staff member at the school,” later identified as Prieto, “pushed a child, causing the child to fall backwards and strike her head on a chair,” the sheriff’s office said.

“During that investigation,” officials noted, “it was discovered that on October 18, another child had been assaulted by the same employee.”

Prieto was booked into the Loudoun County Adult Detention Center on a $1,500 bond.