(SUFFOLK COUNTY, N.Y.) – Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney today announced that Megan Marchena, 27, of Massapequa, was indicted for Assault and Endangering the Welfare of a Child for intentionally injuring one toddler and endangering another while working as a teacher at a daycare in Lindenhurst.
“This indictment alleges a profound betrayal of trust by someone who was supposed to protect and nurture these young children,” said District Attorney Tierney. “Parents have the right to expect that their children will be safe in a classroom, and it is deeply unsettling that children so small and innocent were allegedly harmed by this defendant. My office is committed to holding the defendant accountable and standing up for the safety and dignity of all children in Suffolk County.”
According to the investigation, on February 24, 2025, Marchena was employed as a teacher at a daycare in Lindenhurst where she was primarily responsible for teaching children under the age of two. During naptime, Marchena allegedly repeatedly tried to put one of her 17-month-old students down to sleep by forcefully pushing her face-first into her cot. After doing so several times with increasing intensity, Marchena allegedly pushed the child’s face into the hard plastic edge of the cot, causing her teeth to cut through the skin of her mouth. The victim was taken to Good Samaritan Hospital and needed stitches in her mouth. The investigation revealed that this incident was captured on video surveillance. Marchena was arrested on February 28, 2025.
After Marchena’s arrest, Suffolk County police received numerous calls from other parents and staff members at the daycare, as well as Marchena’s former places of employment, alleging inappropriate behavior with other children. Detectives learned that on January 10, 2025, during naptime, when one of Marchena’s 18-month-old students would not stay in bed, she allegedly picked him up by his torso with his head and legs dangling. Marchena allegedly brought him over to his cot and dropped him onto it from standing height.
On March 6, 2026, Marchena was arraigned on the indictment before Supreme Court Justice Timothy P. Mazzei for two counts of Assault in the Second Degree, Class D violent felonies, one count of Assault in the Third Degree, a Class A misdemeanor, and two counts of Endangering the Welfare of a Child, Class A misdemeanors.
Justice Mazzei ordered Marchena held on $5,000 cash, $10,000 bond, or $50,000 partially secured bond during the pendency of the case. Marchena is due back in court on March 31, 2026, and faces seven years in prison if convicted on the top count. She is being represented by Steve Fondulis, Esq.
If you believe your child may have been a victim of Marchena, please contact the Suffolk County Police Department’s Special Victims Section at (631) 852-6184.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Zachary Kelly of the Child Abuse and Domestic Violence Bureau, and the investigation was conducted by Detective Lisa Hofelich of the Suffolk County Police Department Special Victims Section.