It just happened I was going by the garbage. So I picked him up. And when I picked him up, it's not funny. And I put him in the garbage. On January 13th, 2025, a mother made a disturbing report to the Homewood Police Department after picking her 4-year-old son up from daycare. When she asked how his day was, he told her something no parent expects to hear, that he had slept in a garbage can. What investigators would later uncover on surveillance footage would reveal an even more concerning series of events. Hi Aliana. Um How you doing? Um You want to talk out here or you want to talk inside? It's so cute. What happened? >> Okay. So, um we were contacted in regards to an incident that occurred at the Learning Lab. Oh, really? Yeah. Do you know what we're referring to at all or not? Huh? Do you know what we're talking about at all? I'm a little bit upset over it. >> You're upset over the Learning Lab? Well, no, no, the the incident. Okay. Okay. Well, we're basically here just trying to kind of get Obviously, we heard kind of a few things on how things went down. We're just trying to kind of get your side of how it went down. How could I go to jail for? Pardon me? Go to jail for? Not necessarily. Like I said, we're just trying to talk to you about kind of get what We don't really know what happened other than what we saw on the video. So, I don't really know the the backstory behind everything. Usually, my position is not in that area, in that in the pre-K area. Okay. That's usually not my department, my classroom. I was asked to step in during for a couple hours, I guess, during lunch nap time. There was one one child, a boy. And um uh Investigators reported that Anna became frustrated when the child was not complying during nap time, and she placed him in the garbage can in an attempt to keep him still. Different like talking like, you know, it's a you know, you got to sit down or you know, you got to sit in your seat, you know, it's it's like it's not a one day that day, you know, it's been adding up, you know what I mean? So, I said, "You got to sit down. You got to sit during nap time. You got to sit on your cot." No, I don't want to sit. She said, "On this cot." You know, and you know, Yeah, yeah, yeah, you know, it's like silly children things. Miss Priscilla was the assistant of the classroom. And this is Miss Priscilla, you know, how we're going to stop this? They have you know, he has to stop, you know, cuz this boy does it all the time. Well, how do you guys deal with it? You know? And she she didn't say anything. So, back and forth, you know, he kept on getting off his cot. I says, "Please stay on your cot." Once, twice, think a lot. It just happened I was going by the garbage. So, I picked him up. And when I picked him up, it's not funny. And I put him in the garbage. But the garbage can it it's not a garbage There's this little pail. I'm not the pail that you saw. >> Okay. I put him in there. And then >> behind I'm sorry? What was the reasoning putting him in there? Well, it's because he was like It was only yesterday or whatever it happened. It's been adding He's like How do you say? Quiet. He's from the ones that are quiet, but then in the in the way, you know, he'll get you in the back He just was in listening. So, what what I'm saying >> like the kids that's like, "Well, what can you do with to me?" You know what I mean? Like, "I'm going to do what I want." It's I'm not trying I'm trying I'm not making an explaining anyway. >> He's 4 years old, right? >> Exactly. But that's it Plus I've gone through a lot. This last month the new year hasn't been kind to me. He was very rough to me. He was very, very poor judgment. >> Throughout the interaction, she weirdly places repeated emphasis on the fact that she shouldn't have done this to this particular child, mentioning that his parents are extremely attentive. And especially for that child, not 100,000% I shouldn't have known much, much better for this family cuz this family looks at every little detail. These parents are hawks. You know what I mean? It's really good. So, I should have just known better. Well, I came over I apologized to the mother at the time. If I loved him so much when she came and picked up her son. I I even Wait, you know, her son said something. She didn't know what he was saying or you know, she said something about the I must have told you what happened. Wait, wait, I wasn't I didn't write I says he wasn't listening and he says, "Well, what can you say? He's only 4 years old." And she kept on He laughed at everything, you know? What was going to ask you was the garbage can I'm sorry? >> full or empty? Was the garbage >> empty, clean. It's clean. Garbage can inside or not? There's no garbage No, no, no, no, no. Seriously. I asked, "Why did you put him in the garbage can? Was it because you're upset with him or was it because he was he was moving around and you were trying to stop his movement? What was the reasoning you put him in there?" >> I thought it was something silly thinking maybe he'll listen. You know? It's not anything like like a punishment or anything like that. It was the split of the second. I'm like thinking, "Well, maybe like you said, maybe if I stop the movement, you know, maybe he'll get a little bit so like, 'Oh, you know, why am I not in the garbage?' I mean, why am I confined?" At that point, maybe I never thought it was like a garbage can, you know? And it went through my mind, "Oh, it's clean." You know, that I'm not going to put him in a dirty garbage can. You know? And they said, I mean, I kept them safe. It's like not not to tilt or anything. And then I took him out. As the conversation continues, the officer shifts to another detail that stands out, asking her to explain why she chose to cover his head with a blanket. So, if you were just trying to confine him from moving around, then what was the purpose for the blanket over the head? Oh, he said something about the nap. I says, "Oh, here, and take the blanket." You know? And then that's when I put the Not like I said, my action was very, very My I wouldn't have my eyes open. Very poor judgment. It was wrong of me. I would have never wanted anybody to treat my children like that. You know? I mean, would I want to this point? I don't think so. Every our kids, you know? But he was not harmed. But like I said, you know, I apologize. I understand for the parents, you know? If I have to pay the consequences, I will. I have regretted deeply for my actions. My regret is very high to me. If I could take the parents' pain away, I would. If I could turn the clock back, I would. I mean, like it is mostly during the day, during the night, I think about that mother, the father looking at that video, you know? Okay. But we we do have to ask the question of He's asking beforehand. Um we've reviewed the video with you. We're just wondering uh before that we see something with you and him by the back door of the business. >> Oh. The footage the officer is referencing shows the child getting out of bed during nap time. Anna then takes him by the hand leading him to the rear door and places him outside. The temperature outside was reportedly around 19° and the child wasn't wearing any winter clothing. I usually work by the kitchen I work usually in the kitchen. And I just, you know, thinking like we'll we'll go out of the classroom, maybe he'll stop fidgeting. So, we sit by the door. I open a little bit the door. He was sat by the door. That was it. And then I brought him back in. Did you close the door without him? You know, you're saying you're not holding him out there. It was always open. He might have been like in front of me, but the door was always open. Were you inside the building still at the door? We were kind of both in the building. Him who was semi indoor and the outdoor. And so, you thought by taking him out there, what was what >> No, no, no, no, no. Meaning that by opening door, that's what I'm asking. What's the reasoning behind But but I'm telling you, that was the thing. I love all these kids. And we've heard the same thing about you. If you And we've heard that same thing about you from multiple people. That's what I'm saying. I I don't I you know, Like doesn't excuse certain things, you know? >> Exactly. It doesn't excuse I I'll say it a thousand times. And especially this family because they look at every little thing. That's what I'm saying. So, that's why I'm saying it's like first it's never in me. And then why would I do it to this child? It was just Like I said, Once again, she circled back to the same point, questioning why, out of all the children, she chose the one with the most attentive parents. This week wasn't going well. I got in the car after that. I was just saying, you know? So, a lot of things, you know? I just must this this snap, but not in a bad way. My my my intentions, how do you say? To keep him safe. You know, the video or as a as another parent, you know, doesn't see that, but I never Not only can I raise anybody that I ever think of, you know, doing harm or correcting him or never said anything bad to him. Nothing, nothing. Yeah, I I I appreciate you speaking with us. Uh we're still investigating and looking through it all. We don't know what what's going to come of it right now. We're That's why we wanted to come kind of get your side of the story and and go from there. We're still investigating, though. We want to make sure that we get everything right uh before we make any kind of decision. So, Have you don't have to answer this, but who um uh Was it the lab that I then a notified the police? Okay. I mean, I know Or you just can't answer. Who was it? The parent that says, "Do you want to file like we said criminal The The initial report came through the parents, correct? I'm sorry? The initial report came through the parents. I'm sorry again? The initial report came through the through the parents. She admits what she did was wrong, but for some reason still seems confused as to why the parents decided to get police involved. >> Me personally, let's say what I did was bad, but I don't know, you know, I don't know how I would have done it. Personally seen involved. But I I We don't know. That's why we're saying right now we don't Uh you know, that's why we're not here arresting you. We're still trying to figure out what what is the right course of action. Okay? But you know, it's all our progress. Me I don't know what it said to my children. That's my fault. I'm more than happy. I can give you my driver's license if you don't want me to drive till the verdict comes out. No, no, no. I'll I'll surrender at the at the thing. Yeah, yeah, we appreciate that. We'll We'll contact you. Or even if you come and say, you know, in 1 hour can you be at the police station? You know, I've been going through a lot of things, but you know, Well, we'll show you the way. We'll call you, all right? I don't I don't like it, but I'll accept whatever whatever you give me. Okay. Like I said, bad judgement. It was wrong of me. I feel for the parents. They have to witness to see that to their child those moments. I I don't know what came over me. Imagine. I said it right when the mom I saw her and I went straight. There was nothing for me to hide and you know, I said right away, you know, wasn't listening. I said it right away. The mom I think at the time was shocked because I said the truth. You know what had happened. He wasn't listening and I put him on and I showed her. All right, we'll take that and we'll get in contact with you, okay? Okay. When I speak to the parents, I I will let them know that you were very very upset about what happened. Um and you're very apologetic, okay? That day was quiet in front of Miss Terry. It just said everything will be okay. And you know, honestly, there's God's eye witness. I That day I thought it would be so bad what you said and you'll be I wanted to quit. I know this family was so strict with you know, with their kid with the boys, you know? So, honestly, I wanted to quit. You know, like to get I don't think I can face them, you know, these parents. I I can't. What I did was so wrong, you know? Okay. I think I Like I said, I'll even write an apology letter. Okay. Well, Let us figure this out first. Okay, Anna, we'll try try Anna try to relax, okay? What I would recommend not to do though is don't reach out to the family or nothing like that. Uh me I said what I would recommend not doing is reaching out to the family. No. No, I'm saying I said what I that day I apologized. I told her, you know, I apologized a lot of times and I'm sorry my actions were wrong. I understand I said about my about my child. I said all this stuff. >> Okay. I was I mean I was so truthful. I mean it showed in my I mean in my voice. I mean right after the lady left, you know, or don't worry, Anna, it's going to be okay. What did I answer her? It's not going to be okay and I got up and I left. All right. I apologized. We'll We'll let you know probably next week though. so much of your time. No, you're fine. Thank you. Thanks for talking to us, okay? All right, you have a good day, okay? Anna Petrie was terminated from her position the day after the incident. One year later, in January of 2026, she pled guilty to one count of child endangerment. She was sentenced to 1 year of court supervision, 100 hours of community service, and was ordered to write an apology letter to the family. What are your thoughts on this case? Please leave a like, subscribe, and comment your thoughts below. Thanks for watching.