A Fayetteville day care worker arrested last week for injuring a child worked at an after-school program for the Fayette County Public School System sometime in 2002 and/or 2003, according to a report from the state’s audit department.

It is not known which school Trista Bowlden worked at nor whether school administrators had any reason to question her competency at the time. No school officials could be reached Tuesday morning because the offices were closed, but judging by her compensation listed in the report it is unlikely she was anything but a part-time employee.

Bowlden, 22, of Griffin was arrested last Wednesday and charged with one felony count of cruelty to children, police said. Police are also investigating a second similar report of an injury to a 2-month-old baby which also occurred at Magnolia Park Day Care Center, and a third similar incident was reported by another attorney, which happened in September.

An attorney representing the victim’s family said Thursday that the child’s arm was broken in two places and that Bowlden said the child was hurt when he fell from a kid-sized picnic table.

Three doctors have reviewed the child’s injuries and each determined “there was no way that could have happened,” said attorney Eldridge Suggs IV of Atlanta.

Police were initially notified of the injury Dec. 20 when the child was taken by family members to Scottish Rite Children’s Hospital in Atlanta by family members, police said. Attorney Suggs said the injury was noticed after the child returned home from day care when he took his jacket off to reveal a severely swollen arm.

The injury to the child’s arm was “serious, but not life-threatening,” said Lt. Beverly Trainor of the Fayetteville Police Department.

In atypical fashion, Bowlden was granted a $10,000 bond Thursday afternoon after attorneys met behind closed doors and agreed on a “consent bond,” announced Fayette County Chief Magistrate Charles Floyd Jr. Doing so allowed Bowlden to escape the view of members of the media who had been expecting her appearance in open court for Floyd to consider a bond.

According to the conditions of her bond, Bowlden can have no contact with children and she can not go near a child care center.

Bowlden was represented by defense attorney Steve Harris, the former top prosecutor in Fayette County State Court.

The second investigation involves an arm injury to a 2-month-old baby, police said. Although that incident was reported to police on Dec. 1, the investigation is taking longer because there are multiple suspects, according to Lt. Beverly Trainor of the Fayetteville Police Department.

The third reported incident involves another 14-month old child who also broke an arm while under the care of Bowlden at Magnolia Park, said Fayetteville attorney John B. Miller. The injury occurred Sept. 11 and the parents were told the child fell off a piece of playground equipment, Miller said.

At the time, the parents expressed their concern with management of the day care center and were told that Bowlden would no longer be caring for kids there, Miller said.

Miller said in light of the other two reported arm injuries to children, his firm will be looking into a possible lawsuit against the owners of the day care center.

Magnolia Park Day Care Center is located at 500 Ga. Highway 54, suite 450.

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