BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — A daycare center in Bakersfield is responding to allegations of child molestation. The case is currently under investigation by the sheriff's office and the State Department of Social Services.
The case involves Tienda Daycare, a home-based daycare in Bakersfield. One parent claims her three children were molested by the owner's son. The parent told me, "After I had already pulled them out, my daughter admitted that yes, she had been being touched. We still don’t know — at least a couple of years. And then my youngest came forward and said she was also being touched."
I reached out to Margie Tienda, the owner of the daycare, for comment. She says she's been running the home daycare for 30 years and had never received any complaints prior to these allegations.
I asked, "No parent and no child has ever made these allegations aware to you?"
Margie Tienda the daycare owner told me, "No, never. Never, ever. There hasn't been no complaints — no nothing."
Tienda says her son studied child development in college and insists he understands appropriate behavior around children.
"Like he said, they taught me — they teach us there right from wrong, how to handle a kid. That’s what I learned. He knows, he knows what’s right from wrong. I’ve taught him as a child what’s right from wrong, ya know? It’s not like he’s not aware. I’ve never ever had any complaints till this started." Tienda said.
Tienda also alleges the accusations are financially motivated, claiming the family is pursuing the case for money and insists nothing inappropriate ever happened.
The parent says they had previously communicated this information to the daycare. They are now speaking out to support others who may have been affected. "I don’t care if it was one allegation or ten. She should have been shut down. Like, this is why so many kids don’t come forward — because they tell, and they see nothing is happening fast enough." The parent said.
We are awaiting more details from authorities and will continue to follow this as more information becomes available.
Both the sheriff's office and the California Department of Social Services are investigating this case.
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