Kiarra Jones, 30, entered guilty pleas to 12 charges under a plea agreement just as she was about to go on trial in suburban Denver
A former school bus aide pleaded guilty on Monday to assaulting three nonverbal students with autism, who were unable to report the abuse.
Kiarra Jones, 30, entered guilty pleas to 12 charges under a plea agreement just as she was about to go on trial in suburban Denver.
The abuse, revealed in 2024 through bus surveillance footage, was confirmed by prosecutors and court documents.
Jones is represented by attorneys from the public defender’s office, which does not comment on active cases.
The abuse came to light after Jessica Vestal, the mother of one of the nonverbal students, asked school officials to review the surveillance video to understand a series of injuries her 10-year-old son had sustained earlier last year, including widespread bruising and a black eye.
Jessica and Devon Vestal said they are troubled by whether their son understands why the abuse occurred.
“We are committed to making sure he knows how deeply he is loved,” they said in a statement released by Rathod Mohamedbhai, the law firm representing them and the families of the two other children.
Jones pleaded guilty to 10 felony counts of third-degree assault of an at-risk child and two misdemeanor counts of child abuse, the office of 18th Judicial District Attorney Amy Padden said. She faces up to 15 years in prison for the felony charges, with sentencing scheduled for March 18.
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