DeKalb County daycare owner Ina Clahar caught on camera kicking child

DeKalb County police arrested Ina Clahar, 58, and charged her with cruelty to children after the mother of a 9-year-old boy reported seeing surveillance video of Clahar kicking the child.

Dontranett Akins said Clahar, who is the director and owner of Ms. Ina's Childcare and Leaing Center on Rainbow Road in Decatur, had been taking care of her child since he was a year old.

Akins said on Sept. 28, someone from the daycare called her crying and told her she needed to go to the daycare and review surveillance video.

What she saw made her cry.

"My son was actually bent over picking his book bag off the floor when she kicked him in his stomach," Akins said.

The video doesn't show Clahar's foot making contact with the child. All it shows is the shape of a woman, who police and witnesses at the daycare identified as Clahar, lunging forward foot first and then struggle with someone.

"It's unfortunate that this occurred and there is really no justifiable explanation for this type of behavior," said Akins' attoey Stephen Fowler.

The day of the incident, Akins did receive a text message from Clahar. It stated the child was acting out and she [Clahar] accidentally kicked the front of his shirt to avoid being hit with a book bag.

"Anyone displaying this type of behavior should not be caring for children," Fowler said.

Bright From the Start, the state agency that regulates child care facilities, also investigated the incident. A state consultant issued Ms. Ina's Childcare a violation and determined Clahar kicked the nine-year old as a form of corporal punishment.

CBS46 contacted Clahar about the incident. She stated she did not want to comment about it.