A Southampton mother testified Tuesday against one of the day care workers accused of force-feeding and mistreating her toddler.

As News 12 has reported, Kathleen Culver and Sarah Dawber are accused of abusing an 18-month-old toddler named Emerald at Side by Side Child Care in Southampton.

The criminal trial for Dawber got underway Tuesday in Hampton Bays.

"You just assume that people are good and not monsters," said Caroline Stella, the alleged victim's mother.

Kennedy Williams, an aide that worked with Dawber, also testified that she called Stella to alert her about the alleged mistreatment. She says Dawber force-fed Emerald until the toddler began to vomit.

Dawber's defense attorney Colin Astarita says nothing the aide says is believable.

"The allegations are coming from a young girl who had absolutely no training, who worked there for a very brief period of time and felt that the other girls who worked there didn't like her," says Astarita.

Culver's criminal trial is scheduled for November.

The North Sea Road building that used to be Side by Side is still a day care facility, but is owned by a new company.