A mom left daughter in a Publix break room. Police say coworker molested her
A working mother at a Publix in Hallandale Beach often had no choice but to have her young daughter, who has autism, sit in the store’s break room during her shifts when she couldn’t find a babysitter — not knowing the girl was being repeatedly molested by her coworker, according to police.
The investigation began on Feb. 17, when the mother told police that her 12-year-old daughter revealed that a stock clerk in the freezer department, Tyrone Daley, 56, touched her breasts and genitals in the break room over her clothing two days prior, according to Daley’s arrest affidavit.
The girl then told police that the molestation had been going on for almost three years, starting when she was 10 years old, the girl, who is set to turn 13 this year, told police, per the affidavit.
Throughout the years, the girl endured constant abuse from Daley in the break room with him telling her to “Let me feel it” even when she would repeatedly say no, according to the arrest affidavit. The girl told police she felt scared every time he touched her.
While Daley never touched her while other employees were in the room, the girl did tell police he blew “air kisses” to her, according to police.
Surveillance footage shows Daley looking around before entering the break room while the girl was in the room, police say.
Multiple pieces of the girl’s clothing were collected and tested for Daley’s DNA. Daley agreed to speak with detectives after his DNA was collected and denied the allegations while insisting his DNA would not be found on the child.
On April 30, the test results revealed that Daley’s DNA was found on “exterior crotch area of the victim’s pajama pants,” per the warrant.
Daley turned himself in on Monday and was charged with lewd and lascivious molestation of a victim 12 to 16 years old. Court records show he remains jailed at the Broward County Main Jail as of Tuesday after being denied bond. Information for Daley’s attorney was not immediately available on the Broward County Clerk of Courts website.