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‘It took a weight off my shoulders’ Mom relieved after local babysitter charged and arrested

Posted at 10:30 PM, Nov 02, 2018
and last updated 2018-11-03 06:59:02-04

NORFOLK, Va. - BreAuna Palmer said it's still hard for her to believe it happened.

Veronica Turpin. (NPD)

On Wednesday, October 17, she dropped her five-month-old daughter off at a babysitter's and went to work. Then, the babysitter, 27-year-old Veronica Turpin, called Palmer saying her daughter needed to be picked up.

When Palmer arrived, she said her daughter's eyes were swollen shut. Norfolk Police began investigating and Turpin has been charged with felony child abuse and arrested.

"When I got that phone call today, it was like, Oh my God, is this happening? Are you serious? I'm definitely extremely relieved. It took a weight off my shoulders," said Palmer. She added she's glad Norfolk Police moved so quickly since it's only been two weeks since the investigation began.

Palmer said she remembered hearing how Turpin described what happened to her daughter. She thought it would be a scratch on the cheek, but when she showed up to get her daughter, she discovered her five-month-old would need to be taken to the emergency room.

"Her eye was swollen shut. Her face was puffy and swollen and purple, so that was the most horrific thing that any parent would have to see," said Palmer.

As a certified nursing assistant, Palmer believes Turpin shouldn't have had others in her care.

"For you to want to hurt a child, be it somebody else's or your own, there has to be something not quite right. She should have been seeking help a long time ago," she said.