Prosecutors say a family’s nanny cam recorded weeks of abuse of their infant son before she fled to Brazil
An Anaheim nanny has been charged with 10 felony counts of child abuse after her Irvine employers’ nanny cam allegedly recorded her punching and violently shaking their infant son, the Orange County District Attorney’s Office announced on Wednesday, Oct. 28.
Iara Dossantos Bomfim, 29, was arrested by Irvine police on Oct. 23 after returning from her native Brazil. Prosecutors say she flew there the day after the baby’s mother discovered the footage. She has pleaded not guilty.
What the Nanny Cam Allegedly Showed
The case began on July 11, 2026, when the mother heard her three-month-old son scream and went into the nursery to check on him, according to the DA’s office. Bomfim assured her everything was fine.
When the mother reviewed the nanny cam footage, prosecutors said, she saw Bomfim “sitting on a yoga ball and violently bouncing the baby as his head and neck bounced back and forth and side to side.”
Bomfim is then seen punching the baby in the back of the head with a closed fist, the office said.
A review of the previous 30 days of recordings allegedly showed her punching, hitting and shaking the boy starting June 17, when he was two months and 10 days old. Prosecutors say the abuse continued over a three-week period, until he was three months and five days old.
In one instance, the baby is seen falling headfirst off a bed while in her care. On another day, Bomfim is seen forcefully throwing him onto the bed, according to the release.
The criminal complaint, as reported by City News Service, lists alleged acts on eight days between June 17 and July 11. It accuses her of “violent shaking of the head and neck” on June 28, the same day the baby allegedly fell from the bed.
The complaint also alleges that she did not seek medical aid for him after that fall.
Flight to Brazil and an Arrest on Return
Bomfim flew to Brazil on July 12, the day after the mother found the footage, the DA’s office said.
Irvine police arrested her on Friday, Oct. 23, after she returned. At the time, according to prosecutors, she was attempting to set up another Care.com account to advertise her nanny services.
ABC7 reported that prosecutors announced the charges five days after the arrest.
Not Guilty Plea and Next Court Date
Bomfim has pleaded not guilty. She is being held in lieu of $500,000 bail, according to the DA’s office.
If convicted on all counts, she faces a maximum sentence of 18 years in state prison, prosecutors said.
City News Service reported that she was next due in court on Nov. 4 at the Harbor Justice Center in Newport Beach. The complaint describes the counts as child abuse and endangerment.
Delightful Daily has also covered proposals for harsher penalties for crimes against children and several child abuse cases abroad.
DA Urges Parents to Vet Caregivers
Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer used the announcement to warn parents about who they let into their homes.
“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 in the release.
He added that the case “should serve as a powerful reminder to parents everywhere that evil can hide behind the friendliest of smiles and the heartiest of laughs.”
“Whether it is a nanny, a coach, a music teacher, a tutor, anyone who is around your child should be fully vetted and anything suspicious must be reported to law enforcement,” Spitzer said.
Our earlier reporting includes the story of a waitress whose simple question saved a child, as well as a look at how families pay for childcare.
“Abuse lurks in the shadows, and it is up to all of us to shine a light on it and shield the voiceless and the defenseless from harm,” he said.
What Is Abusive Head Trauma?
The DA’s release does not describe the baby’s condition.
Violent shaking and blows to the head are what cause abusive head trauma, also known as shaken baby syndrome. The American Academy of Pediatrics calls it a leading cause of fatal head injuries in children under 2.
Roughly 1,300 children in the U.S. suffer abusive head trauma each year, and one-quarter of them die from their injuries, according to the AAP.
Infants under one year are most at risk, the group says, because their brains are still developing and their neck muscles are weak. Symptoms can include bleeding in the brain or eyes, seizures and long-term developmental delays.
Prevention programs that teach caregivers to cope with stress and frustration have been shown to reduce cases, the AAP says. Delightful Daily has written before about what gentle handling means for newborns.
“Abusive head trauma is a preventable tragedy,” said Dr. Antoinette Laskey, who chairs the AAP’s Council on Child Abuse and Neglect. “Raising awareness and educating caregivers about stress management and the dangers of shaking can save lives and protect vulnerable children.”
Featured image from: ErikaWittlieb, via Pixabay