Mom Was Shocked When Nonverbal Son Came Home with Bruises — Then Learned He Wasn’t Bus Aide’s Only Victim

A former school bus aide in Colorado has pleaded guilty to assaulting multiple nonverbal children with autism, authorities announced this week.

Kiarra Jones, who previously worked for Littleton Public Schools, pleaded guilty on Monday to 10 felony counts of third-degree assault of an at-risk child and two misdemeanor counts of child abuse, according to the Office of the District Attorney for the 18th Judicial District in Arapahoe County.

Prosecutors said the case began after a parent of a nonverbal boy with autism noticed unexplained bruises on her son’s foot and requested to review surveillance footage from the school bus. After examining video from the bus’s security camera, school officials found evidence that the child had been physically assaulted by Jones.

A broader review of the footage revealed that the same student had been assaulted multiple times, with incidents dating back to February 2024. Investigators later determined that Jones, who is 30 years old, assaulted three nonverbal students with autism.

Attorneys representing affected families described the assaults as deeply disturbing and intentional. In a statement, the parents of one child said the harm inflicted on their son was not accidental or the result of poor judgment, but a deliberate act that caused lasting pain for both the child and their family. They added that no sentence could fully account for the damage done, though they hope the guilty plea marks the beginning of accountability.

Jones initially pleaded not guilty to all charges and was scheduled to face a five-day criminal trial before reaching a plea agreement with prosecutors.

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

Jones is scheduled to be sentenced on March 18. Prosecutors said she faces a possible sentence of up to 15 years in prison.