News

Parents Say They Caught Their New Nanny Abusing Toddler on Day 1 After Falling for Her 'Safe' Profile

NewsPublished May 27, 2020
By Genny Glassman
Jacqueline EdensWPHO

Kevin and Melissa Lange of Phoenix, Arizona, say that they didn't see any signs there might be something wrong with the nanny they hired for their two sons. That's until they came home and found both boys visibly shaken. The concerned parents later discovered that their nanny, Jacqueline Edens, had allegedly physically abused their toddler on her first day home alone with the children. Now the parents are speaking out, saying the website they used missed "red flags" so others will be extra cautious when finding a sitter online.

The couple shared that they used a website, Sittercity.com, to find a new nanny for their two sons.

Speaking with CBS 2, the Langes explained that were hoping to replace their longtime nanny when they spotted Edens' listing on the website. From her profile, it seemed like she was a perfect fit. Edens stated that she previously worked as a pediatric nurse, which made the parents hopeful that they found a trustworthy match.

When they met up with Edens, "she carried herself very well. She was extremely professional,” Melissa recalled.

Edens even shadowed their old nanny for a week before starting on the job -- and there was no hint that there was anything wrong.

But when Melissa came home after Edens' first day of work, she said it was immediately clear that something was off.

When she walked in, Melissa said she found both of her children in tears. 

"I walked in expecting the same normal chipper nanny that I left that morning, who was excited to start the day," she recalled to WPHO. But then she looked over at her sons' faces.

"My youngest, Evan, was hysterically crying and shaking. He was shivering. As I got closer, I noticed what looked like rug burns all over his face and cuts," she said.

"When I looked at her sitting on the couch, she had her head down like this," the mom continued. "And when I asked her to tell me what happened, she kind of picked her head up like this. She could barely hold her head up and her eyes were completely out of it."

Both parents say they asked Edens what happened but couldn't get a straight answer out of her. She promptly left the house.

When they checked surveillance footage from cameras angled at their driveway, the Langes saw video that provided horrifying answers.

Kevin told the news station that the video "shows [Jacqueline] grab [Evan], pick him up by one arm and with just one arm, flings him in the air. So he’s airborne," he recalled. 

"I have security video. I have pictures -- still frames. She just throws him into the garage," he continued.

The Langes say they reported Langes to police, but the nanny had her own bizarre version of events.

Edens allegedly told police that she fainted and hit her head on the day of the incident and that Evan fell down while reaching down to pick up a toy fire truck. Police referred the case to the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office and recommended a charge of one count of child abuse. Thus far, no charges have been filed.

After her arrest, the Langes discovered that Jacqueline lied on her Sittercity profile.

In reality, her nursing license was revoked in November following a review where the Texas nursing board noted that she "exhibited signs of impaired behavior while on duty." A Phoenix police report showed that Jacqueline failed to show up to work with her previous employer and had issues with alcohol.

These are all things that the Langes say they assumed a childcare website like Sittercity would screen for before allowing potential nannies to create a profile, but clearly this wasn't the case.

"The website didn't pick up on it. And that's what blows me away," Kevin said. "If they had run a simple background check on her, they would've seen that she was she was not a pediatric nurse. She used to be. But her license was revoked."

In a statement given to the news station, Sittercity noted the ways in which it screens potential candidates.

In the statement, Sittercity noted that the identities of all caregivers are authenticated and checked against a sex offender database.

"In addition, we provide access to various types of background checks and motor vehicle records checks that we recommend families run on caregivers, or that caregivers may run on themselves."

The statement continued: 

"As a part of our recommended screening process, we encourage parents to run background checks immediately before hiring a caregiver to ensure that the data is recent and accurate. In this case, neither the family nor the sitter ran a background check through the Sittercity website," the statement continued. "Importantly, we also recommend that parents verify all certifications, credentials and licenses that caregivers claim to have before hiring them. It appears that the Langes may not have done that."

That answer doesn't satisfy the Langes' lawyer, Grant Woods.

Woods, a former Arizona attorney general, also spoke to the news station and told them that "[Sittercity] can say whatever they want to. They will say that they don't have responsibility. In my opinion they do have a responsibility."

The lawyer added that he believes companies like Sittercity have a responsibility to their customers to do more thorough background checks. 

"They know what parents are expecting when they go on their website and get these services," he said. "They're expecting that the people are who they say they are and that there's been some sort of vetting that went on here. And that they’re somewhat qualified.

"Why would they use the website otherwise?" he added.

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