Ocala, Florida — A Kids Central Inc. case manager assigned to foster children in Marion County was arrested Tuesday, Nov. 3, on a charge of failing to report child abuse after deputies say she learned of video of a child being abused in a foster home she oversaw and told the caller to report it themselves. Cristina Feliz, 35, works for the contractor that runs community-based foster care for the Florida Department of Children and Families in the Ocala area.
What deputies say happened
Feliz was the case manager for the surviving siblings of a 3-year-old Marion County girl who died in February, according to the Marion County Sheriff’s Office arrest report as described by WCJB and WKMG. After the girl’s death, the siblings were removed from their mother and placed in the home of foster parent Vanessa Pawlicki.
According to the arrest report, someone told Feliz they had video of a child in Pawlicki’s care being abused. Instead of calling the Florida Abuse Hotline, deputies say, Feliz told that person to report it themselves. She said she “did not want to get in the middle of it” because the information came from a “third party,” WKMG reported from the arrest report. Deputies wrote that the video should have been treated as suspected abuse and reported immediately.
Under Florida law, social workers are mandatory reporters, and any person who knows or has reasonable cause to suspect child abuse must immediately report it to the hotline. Feliz was released from the Marion County Jail the day of her arrest after posting a $5,000 bond, according to WCJB.
The foster home and the earlier death
Pawlicki, 47, was arrested on a child abuse charge after a witness reported seeing her repeatedly hit and kick a child who got in trouble after church, WFTV reported, citing her arrest report. WKMG reported that Pawlicki is accused of abusing a 9-year-old boy. WFTV reported at the time that investigators had not said whether the child was one of the siblings.
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The 3-year-old did not die in foster care. Deputies say she was left at home with her mother’s boyfriend on Feb. 19, was found unresponsive and later died at a hospital. The boyfriend, Jeroen Jarrel Coombs, faces aggravated child abuse and second-degree murder charges, and the girl’s mother, Jennifer Kendrick, is jailed on child neglect and aggravated manslaughter charges, according to WKMG.
Where the system failed
The children were in state care because the adults around them had failed to protect them. Deputies say the worker responsible for their case learned of possible video evidence of abuse in their placement and handed the duty to report back to the caller. WFTV reported in September that community members had questioned how DCF vetted Pawlicki, and that the department did not provide a response before that story aired.
In a statement to WKMG, DCF said Florida law requires reports to the hotline and that it expects every employee and contracted provider to meet that obligation.
A failure to meet that responsibility is unacceptable.
Florida Department of Children and Families, statement to WKMG
Kids Central told WKMG it is aware of the allegations involving one of its employees, takes the matter very seriously and is “cooperating fully with law enforcement.” The agency said it could not comment on specific details while the matter is under investigation.
What’s next
Feliz is due back in court on Dec. 8, according to WKMG. The charge against her is an allegation, and she has not been convicted. The cases against Pawlicki, Coombs and Kendrick remain pending. DCF said the allegations against Feliz will be addressed through the criminal justice process.
Florida hands foster care to private lead agencies, and a case manager is often the only outside set of eyes on a placement. FAN tracks cases like this one because accountability rarely comes from inside the system; read more about foster care system problems and how families can push back.
Key facts
- Cristina Feliz, 35, a Kids Central Inc. case manager, was arrested Nov. 3, 2026, on a charge of failing to report child abuse.
- Deputies say she was told of video of a child in foster parent Vanessa Pawlicki’s care being abused and told the caller to report it themselves.
- Kids Central is a contracted community-based care provider for the Florida Department of Children and Families.
- Pawlicki, 47, was arrested earlier on a child abuse charge.
- The foster children are siblings of a 3-year-old girl who died in February 2026 after deputies say she was abused at the family home; her mother’s boyfriend faces a second-degree murder charge.
- Feliz posted a $5,000 bond and is due in court Dec. 8.
Sources
- WCJB — DCF contractor arrested for failing to report abuse of sibling, Marion County deputies say (2026-11-05)
- WKMG News 6 — DCF contractor arrested for failing to report child abuse of siblings (2026-11-06)
- WFTV — Marion County caregiver arrested for child abuse after being trusted with victim’s siblings (2026-09-01)
- WKMG News 6 — Marion County mom arrested after 3-year-old girl beaten to death, deputies say (2026-03-04)
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