Lindenwold, NJ day care worker attacked 2 young toddlers – police

CAMDEN – A 21-year-old woman is charged with attempted murder after attacking a one-year-old child at the daycare center where she worked, Acting Camden County Prosecutor Jill Mayer announced.

Maggie Fruit, of Somerdale, also was charged with two counts of endangering the welfare of a child, stemming from the incidents at a facility on the 600 block of Chews Landing Road in Lindenwold, Mayer said.

Lindenwold Police responded to a 911 call on Thursday around 1:40 p.m., about a toddler being abused at the daycare center.

Officers were shown video surveillance of the assault happening, which was stopped by witnesses who removed the young child from Fruit’s care.

The child was taken for a medical exam and released.

Fruit had been an employee for the past two months, authorities said, who did not specifically identify the center.

She was fired immediately, according to the owners of Forever Young Child Care Learning Center in Lindenwold, who told New Jersey 101.5 they were very distraught.

“We have been in business for 26 years and Maggie had no prior history of child abuse as we do CARI checks and Fingerprints on every staff member,” Stacy and Michael Krooks said in a written response on Sunday, adding their center has “an impeccable reputation.”

Video footage also showed Fruit being physically abusive to a different toddler, about 30 minutes earlier in the same classroom.

That one-year-old's parents were notified, and the child did not require a medical exam.

Fruit was taken to the Camden County Jail and on Sunday was awaiting a pre-trial detention hearing.

Anyone with additional information is asked to call the Camden County Prosecutor’s Office at 856-225-8493 or Lindenwold Police at 856-784-7566.

Tips also can be submitted via email to ccpotips@ccprosecutor.org.