John Jefferson
Vilma Otero
Cops in Florida arrested a teacher after she allegedly assaulted a 3-year-old boy with autism by putting him into a chokehold during story time.
Vilma Otero, 59, is facing a child abuse charge, according to the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office. A probable cause arrest affidavit obtained by Law&Crime said the incident occurred Friday at Forest Lake Elementary School in Deltona.
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A paraeducator witnessed the abuse and contacted the Department of Children and Families who called deputies. The witness told deputies she was preparing for the next activity as Otero read a book to students on the other side of the classroom. She heard a student cry out in pain and turned around to see Otero sitting in a chair with the student “between her legs being held down in a choke hold manner,” the affidavit said. It was apparent to the paraeducator the boy was in “distress,” according to cops. His face was “turning red as he was crying and screaming while attempting to free himself from Otero’s legs,” the affidavit said.
The witness took out her phone and started taking photos of the ordeal which she later gave to deputies.
Otero’s attorney Richard Zaleski said in a statement to Law&Crime that the allegations are “absurd.”
“She is a lifetime servant of the community and the photos offered are out of context,” he said. “With all due respect to the employee that took the photographs and didn’t intervene, we will ask everyone to respect the process and give Mrs. Otero the benefit of the doubt.”
Detectives met with the boy and his family on Saturday. Relatives told them that the boy appeared to be “in a good mood and playful” when he returned home from school Friday. Deputies reportedly noticed “slight redness” on his neck. The boy said “I got in trouble at school” and “she hurt me” but was unable to expand on what happened, according to the affidavit.
In an interview with deputies, Otero explained she was a teacher with more than 35 years of experience, most of which was with special education students. She also said the best practice for handling students having behavioral issues is to move them to a different room so they can calm down. Deputies then told her that she was being accused of restraining a student in a way “not deemed acceptable.” She at first denied restraining the boy but deputies then confronted her with photos showing her pinning him on the floor.
“Otero did inform deputies that she knew physically restraining special needs children in the manner described would be wrong, however continued to deny that she had acted in the manner described once provided with photographic evidence of the event,” deputies wrote.
Cops took her to jail on the child abuse charge. She has since bonded out and pleaded not guilty. Her next court date is scheduled for Sept. 19.
The Volusia County School District released a statement to media saying the teacher is on administrative leave while it conducts an investigation.
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