Miami-Dade therapist arrested after allegedly injuring 5-year-old boy
Police said a 5-year-old boy needed hospital care after a therapy session in southwest Miami-Dade. Leonardo Daniel Rivas, 42, was arrested on felony child abuse charges.
Leonardo Daniel Rivas, 42, was arrested Tuesday and faced a Miami-Dade judge on felony child abuse charges after a 5-year-old boy was injured during an occupational therapy session in southwest Miami-Dade.
The child was attending treatment when the alleged abuse happened and later needed hospital care. Rivas was serving as the child’s occupational therapist during a daily session at Florida Kids Therapy Medley, 13335 SW 124th St., in the Three Lakes area of southwest Miami-Dade.
Rivas squeezed the boy’s cheeks, repeatedly forced a Whisper Phone into the child’s mouth, then held him down forcefully to a chair and pushed his legs down after the boy became upset. The 5-year-old suffered abrasions to both shoulder blades and his chest and was treated at Nicklaus Children’s Hospital.
In Florida, occupational therapists are licensed through the state’s Board of Occupational Therapy, which sits under the Department of Health’s Medical Quality Assurance division. The state’s license verification portal lets the public check a provider’s credentials, and the board’s complaint process is public as well.
Families who suspect abuse can call the Florida Abuse Hotline at 1-800-962-2873, which takes reports 24 hours a day, seven days a week. If a child is in immediate danger, 911 comes first. Miami-Dade residents can also reach the Department of Children and Families office at 401 NW 2nd Avenue, N1007, in downtown Miami.
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