A young girl took the stand in a Miami courtroom this week and described what prosecutors say was a violent pattern of abuse that left her with a life-threatening brain injury.

The girl, who was 7 years old at the time, testified that her babysitter, Leonor Garcia, repeatedly beat her during English language lessons if she mistranslated a word. Garcia, 65, is currently on trial in Miami on charges of child abuse with great bodily harm.

According to a probable cause arrest affidavit, the incident occurred on July 29, 2023, when the child spent the day at Garcia’s home. The girl told jurors that Garcia struck her at least 13 times using a metal spoon, a remote control, or a phone after she made mistakes translating words from Spanish to English.

“I tried to cry, but she would tell me not to because if I cried she would tell me she was going to hit me,” the child testified, according to local ABC affiliate WPLG. She also told the court that Garcia threatened her with pliers and warned that if she told her mother what happened, Garcia would “pull my eye out.”

Shortly before 8 p.m. that evening, Garcia called the girl’s mother and claimed the child had been injured while doing cartwheels and needed to go to the hospital. When the family arrived at the hospital, doctors discovered the girl had a subdural hematoma — a dangerous brain bleed — and performed emergency surgery to drain fluid from her brain.

In addition to the brain injury, the child suffered a black eye and bruising on her shoulder. Medical testimony presented to the jury contradicted Garcia’s explanation of an accidental fall.

“Our opinion was that it was physical abuse,” pediatrician Dr. Walter Lambert told jurors, according to courtroom reports.

The girl also testified that Garcia instructed her to blame the injuries on cartwheels, calling it a “lie” once she was safe enough to speak with investigators.

Garcia’s trial remains ongoing as of Thursday. If convicted, she faces serious prison time under Florida law.