HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. — The principal of Channelside Charter Academy, Cristina Fuentes, 49, turned herself into authorities on Saturday for failing to report child abuse.
The Tampa Police Department (TPD) began investigating after being informed of the allegations in April.
Police say Fuentes was the principal when she was informed of a school employee who became physical with the 7-year-old victim.
According to authorities, on December 15, 2022, a cafeteria monitor at the school grabbed the victim by the arm and threw them to the tile floor, which resulted in the victim hitting their head and shoulder.
As a result of the attack, the victim injured their lip and bruised their shoulder.
TPD says Fuentes was informed of the incident by the victim's teacher following the event.
Fuentes fired the cafeteria monitor the next day but failed to report the incident to Child Protective Services or Law Enforcement.
According to authorities, on April 27 of this year, Fuentes was informed of a child-on-child sexual allegation in which the same 7-year-old victim was sitting down when approached by another student.
Police say the student sat beside the victim and touched him inappropriately before additional students intervened.
Fuentes failed to report this incident to Child Protective Services as well.
Fuentes faces two counts of Failure to Report Child Abuse and is incarcerated at the Orient Road Jail.
