A child abuse case against a Steamboat Springs daycare teacher will continue next month following a review of the evidence at a Wednesday status conference.

Alma Montes, 26, was arrested Feb. 7 and charged with one count of child abuse for allegedly grabbing children by the arms and legs and scratching them, according to an arrest affidavit.

Parents were asked to pick up their children from the Steamboat Springs daycare facility, Young Tracks Preschool and Day Care Center, early on Feb. 11 after the state’s Department of Early Childhood suspended its license to operate.

The affidavit further states that witnesses had seen Montes “lay on the children to make them fall asleep.”

The license suspension order states that “staff and/or the director of the facility were aware of child abuse allegations and failed to report them to the county and/or law enforcement,” and “child abuse in the facility has been happening for approximately one to two years.”

The director of Young Tracks, Kim Martin, has allegedly “known about the abuse and has interfered with parents contacting the department or law enforcement and parents were afraid to come forward,” according to the suspension order.

According to the affidavit, witnesses also reported noticing “bumps” on the backs of students’ heads from “hitting their head on the wall after (Montes) aggressively handled them.”

The Routt County Department of Human Services provided police with photos of injuries that showed “fresh” scratches that “broke skin” and bruises that were “dark in color,” states the affidavit.

The affidavit also states that one witness provided to police a video of Montes “hitting a kid and being rude.”

During the Wednesday status conference, Montes’s attorney, Stacy Marczak-Grande, stated that she and District Attorney Matt Karzen have reviewed over 400 “items of discovery,” which refers to the exchange of evidence in the pre-trial process.

Marczak-Grande also noted that she has “received another couple dozen items of discovery” that need to be reviewed by both the prosecution and defense.

“We continue to review the evidence in this matter and maintain that Ms. Montes is entitled to the presumption of innocence and a fair legal process,” said Marczak-Grande in a statement.

When addressing the court, Marczak-Grande stated that she and Karzen will meet to discuss the evidence and direction of the case.

Montes’s next court date is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. May 21.

Editor’s note: Every person accused of a crime is presumed to be innocent unless and until their guilt is established beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.