Roanoke Rapids police this morning served a search warrant at Gingerbread House Preschool after receiving a complaint of physical abuse at the facility last week.

Chief Bobby Martin said the initial complaint investigated by Detective Morgan Worrell involved one child.

Since then there have been multiple complaints of physical abuse to surface, he said.

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Martin declined to immediately say whether the abuse complaints center on one employee or involve multiple employees. “It’s still early. We’re just asking that parents be patient while we investigate. We’re doing due diligence to investigate everyone from top to bottom.”

Captain Jamie Hardy said the police department is working with the state Department of Health and Services Early Childhood Development Division.

Early this morning, police had all entrances to the facility, which is located inside First Baptist Church on Becker Drive, blocked. Several parents with children who attend the preschool drove by and asked questions to media on the scene. 

Hardy said the focus of the search warrant was to collect documents and videos to corroborate the complaints the department has received on allegations of physical abuse.

The initial complaint was by a parent.

The Gingerbread House had been located on Clearfield Drive until an expansion was needed. It moved to the church in 2017.