Ex-Tutor Time of Lindenhurst worker accused of assaulting 2 toddlers sentenced to 5 years probation, declines to apologize

A Suffolk judge laid into a former Lindenhurst daycare employee when she declined to apologize to the families of two toddlers she was accused of assaulting, even after she avoided jail time by pleading guilty to a lesser charge.

State Supreme Court Justice Timothy Mazzei told Megan Marchena she’s "lucky" to be receiving 5 years’ probation for attempted assault, under a plea deal, after she chose not to address the victims at her sentencing Tuesday.

"Nothing? Sheesh," Mazzei said in disbelief at Marchena’s silence. "You don’t want to apologize to anyone for what you did?"

Marchena, 27, of Massapequa, pleaded guilty in July to second-degree attempted assault of a child, after being accused of abusing two young children under her care at the facility in 2025. One of her victims was an 18-month-old boy. The other was a 17-month-old girl.

Marchena had faced up to 7 years in prison if convicted at trial of the top count of second-degree assault.

Assistant District Attorney Zachary Kelly said the offer to plead guilty to the lesser charge and avoid jail time was made with the blessing of both families, who sought to avoid "the additional trauma of going through a trial."

The judge told Marchena: "Quite frankly, you deserve to go to jail." 

Marchena was employed in early 2025 at Tutor Time of Lindenhurst, where she was primarily responsible for the care of children under the age of 2, prosecutors previously said.

During naptime on Feb. 24, 2025, Marchena tried to put a 17-month-old girl to sleep by forcefully and repeatedly pushing her face-first into her cot with increasing intensity, authorities have said.

Marchena, prosecutors said, eventually pushed the child’s face into the hard plastic edge of the cot, causing the toddler's teeth to cut through the skin of her mouth.

The victim was taken to Good Samaritan Hospital and needed stitches in her mouth to close the wound, authorities said.

The incident, investigators said, was captured on video surveillance and Marchena was arrested four days later.

After Marchena’s initial arrest, Suffolk police said they received numerous calls from other parents and staff members at the daycare, along with her former places of employment — all alleging she had shown inappropriate behavior with children.

As law enforcement continued investigating, detectives learned that during naptime on Jan. 10, 2025, at Tutor Time, one of Marchena’s 18-month-old children would not stay in bed, officials said.

Marchena, prosecutors said, picked the child up by his torso with his head and legs dangling, brought him over to his cot and dropped him from a standing height. The child was not injured, the district attorney's office said.

Under the terms of her probation, Marchena, who now works in catering, is not allowed to care for children. Prosecutors also asked that she be placed in an anger management program during that time.

The mother of the 18-month-old boy, whom Newsday is not naming to protect the identity of her child, a victim of alleged abuse, told Marchena she hopes she gets "the help and anger management strategies that you need."

"When you get frustrated with babies, you don’t know how to control yourself," the mom said.

The mother of the 17-month-old girl told the court her "completely defenseless" daughter still asks about a scar on her chin.

"She had no voice in what happened to her," the mom said. "And no way to protect herself."

Marchena and Laterza declined to comment as they left the courtroom Tuesday.

By Grant Parpan

grant.parpan@newsday.com@GrantParpan

Grant Parpan covers Suffolk County courts and federal courts for Newsday. A Long Island native, he joined Newsday in 2022.