MIAMI — Jurors found Leonor Garcia, the Miami-Dade babysitter accused of giving a 7-year-old girl a brain bleed by brutally beating her, not guilty on charges of aggravated child abuse and child abuse Friday afternoon.

Garcia, 65, smiled and held the hands of her attorneys as the verdict acquitting her was read.

The jury deliberated for roughly four hours in the case, which revolved around allegations that Garcia, then 62, used a metal serving spoon to beat the child over the head and shoulder when she got answers wrong during English lessons in 2023.

Police said following her arrest that Garcia chalked the injuries up to the girl doing “cartwheels” and her defense attorney, at trial, argued that the girl had a preexisting head injury from when she lived in Cuba.

The girl, now 10, testified on Wednesday and Garcia testified in her own defense on Thursday.

During closing arguments Friday, Assistant State Attorney Janeen Zamora called the case one of “broken trust.”

Garcia’s attorney argued that by bringing the case, however, the state broke its trust with the public.

She could have faced 30 years in prison.

“This was never about not having sympathy for a little girl. Everybody feels sorry for a little girl, but in every complex situation, our job is to really look at the evidence for the weight that it is,” Garcia’s attorney, Sabrina Filomena, said. “I hope that we can move on from this verdict, all of us, and now the little girl possibly will receive the care that she needs.”

Danny Velez, a family friend of the young girl, expressed disappointment at the jury’s decision.

“Horrible, horrible. It’s horrible. You know, she came and I think she did a great testimony, and then, unfortunately, it didn’t work for the jury,” Velez said. “I don’t understand what they’re thinking.”

Garcia was rushed out of court following the verdict. Members of her family had no comment.

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