School bus aide pleads guilty to assaulting three nonverbal students

Former School Bus Aide Admits to Assaulting Nonverbal Students

A former school bus aide has admitted to attacking three nonverbal students with autism who could not report the mistreatment.

Officials at Colorado’s 18th Judicial District Attorney’s Office report that Kiarra Jones, 30, pleaded guilty to 10 counts of third-degree assault of an at-risk child and two counts of child abuse for attacking multiple children on a school bus in 2024.

Details of the Abuse

Surveillance footage released by civil rights lawyers shows a woman, identified as Jones, seated next to a child on a bus. The footage captures her repeatedly elbowing and striking the child.

An affidavit from an Englewood Police Department detective states that the video documents Jones attacking the child on February 13, 2024. The detective noted that additional footage revealed further abuse incidents on two separate occasions.

The detective reported that Jones was seen “forcefully” pushing the child’s head down toward the floor before striking him in the mouth with the back of her hand. She then hit him again in the mouth and punched him in the face with a closed fist.

“The punch is so hard (the child’s) head goes back and hits the seat,” the detective noted in the affidavit.

Reactions and Consequences

“These children could not speak for themselves, and it was our duty to stand up for them,” said Chief Deputy District Attorney Chris Gallo in a news release. “Today’s guilty plea ensures accountability while allowing the court to impose a sentence that reflects the seriousness of the crimes.”

Jones lost her job after being arrested in April 2024. She had worked as a paraprofessional with Littleton Public Schools at that time.

Attorney Qusair Mohamedbhai, representing the child’s family, stated that the video shows months of “unimaginable abuse,” with documented injuries dating back to September 2023.

The abuse was discovered after Jessica Vestal, the mother of one of the nonverbal students, asked school officials to review the video to explain a series of injuries her son, then 10, sustained after attending school, including widespread bruises and a black eye.

Mohamedbhai previously described the injuries as “unexplained scratches, bruises, a lost tooth, a broken toe, a black eye, and other deep bruises on their bodies and feet.”

Jessica and her husband, Devon Vestal, expressed their concern over whether their son understands why this happened. “We are committed to making sure that he understands how deeply he is loved,” they stated in a recent release by Mohamedbhai.

Legal Proceedings

Prosecutors revealed that Jones initially pleaded not guilty to all charges, and a five-day trial was set to begin Monday morning. However, shortly before 9 am, Jones pleaded guilty to 10 felonies and 2 misdemeanors.

District Attorney Amy Padden stated: “This defendant was placed in a position of trust with defenseless children, and she clearly abused that responsibility. Her actions are inexcusable. This resolution allows the victims and their families to move forward without the trauma of a trial, while still ensuring accountability.”

Jones faces a maximum of 15 years in prison for the felony charges when she is sentenced on March 18.

Summary of Charges Against Kiarra Jones