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Vilma Otero, a 59-year-old Florida teacher, has been arrested and charged after allegedly placing an autistic 3-year-old in a chokehold.
According to Volusia County Jail records, Otero was arrested and booked into the facility on Saturday, August 24. Subsequently, the teacher was charged with felony child abuse, per Fox 35 Orlando.
Furthermore, Otero’s booking record indicates that she was released from custody on Sunday, August 25, on a surety or cash bond.
According to Fox 35 Orlando, the incident occurred on Friday, August 23, at Forest Lake Elementary School in Deltona, Florida. The outlet adds that a paraeducator, also known as a teacher’s assistant, was working alongside Otero in the classroom.
The teacher was allegedly reading to the children when the paraeducator heard a boy “scream and cry.”
When the paraeducator turned around, she allegedly saw the 3-year-old “being held between Otero’s legs in a chokehold.” Fox 35 Orlando adds that the paraeducator even captured photos of the ordeal and reported it to the Department of Children and Families.
According to the outlet, cops later spoke with the child, who explained that he got in “trouble at school” and alleged the teacher “hurt” him. Furthermore, the cops reportedly observed a “slight redness” on his neck. From there, the officers contacted Otero, who admitted she “physically restrain[ed]” the child in a wrong manner.
The outlet adds that Otero had reportedly been teaching for 36 years before the incident, “mostly working with special-needs children.”
The recent incident with the 59-year-old teacher took place almost a year after another teacher in the state was arrested and charged for a similar incident. As The Shade Room previously reported, Stacy Strnad was reportedly arrested on September 7, 2023.
At the time, Strnad was accused of striking an autistic 4-year-old multiple times with an open hand. Furthermore, when the child attempted to evade the teacher, she allegedly grabbed his arm and pulled him backward.
The incident reportedly resulted in the child falling and cutting their arm on a bookcase. Furthermore, the teacher was reportedly charged with child abuse and battery.
