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Texas mom gets 99 years for gluing toddler to wall, beating her
[Updated at 4:22 p.m. ET] A Texas mother who super-glued her 2-year-old daughter's hands to a wall and beat her over potty training problems was sentenced Friday morning to 99 years in prison, a Dallas County felony records department district clerk said.
Elizabeth Escalona, 23, will be eligible to ask for parole in 30 years. She pleaded guilty in July to a charge of first-degree injury to a child, a crime punishable by anywhere between probation and life in prison.
"This mom was pure evil, and her children are better off without her," prosecutor Eren Price said after a judge delivered Friday's sentence. "Her five kids now have a chance to lead a productive life."
Escalona’s attorney said that the sentence was excessive and that an appeal would be filed, CNN affiliate KTVT reported.
Escalona's daughter Jocelyn Cedillo was less than two months shy of her 3rd birthday in September 2011 when Escalona used a powerful adhesive to glue her hands to a wall and beat her because of potty training troubles, authorities said. Three other children belonging to Escalona, who was pregnant at the time, witnessed the abuse, according to Dallas County district attorney's office spokeswoman Debbie Denmon.
The child urinated on herself during the ordeal, during which she was hit in head and kicked in the groin, among other forms of abuse, Denmon said.
Oefelia Escalona, the defendant's mother, testified during her daughter's sentencing hearing this week that she found the girl and took her to a hospital. Once Jocelyn was there, medical authorities noticed severe bruises to her face and head, as well as a severe brain injury that led to her temporarily being in a coma.
At this week's sentencing hearing, prosecutors showed pictures of Jocelyn's hands and bruised body and forehead.
"The entire picture was very shocking," said Dr. Amy Barton, then a child abuse pediatrician at Children's Medical Center of Dallas, choking back tears on the stand on Monday. "I see a lot of children, and this was one of the most shocking cases that I have seen."
Escalona asked for leniency during her sentencing hearing this week, saying she behaved like a monster but deserved a second chance, KTVT reported. Her mother asked the judge to sentence Elizabeth to probation, according to KTVT.
Price initially offered a plea bargain of 45 years in prison, but Escalona turned it down, the district attorney's office said.
Price said that the judge, after learning more about Escalona during the hearing, was justified in sentencing her to more time.
"Elizabeth Escalona wasn't sorry for what she did to 2-year-old Jocelyn. Elizabeth Escalona felt sorry for herself," Price said. "Those tears on the stand were for her and not for the toddler she tortured."
An attempt to reach Escalona's attorney for comment Friday was not immediately successful.
Before this incident, Escalona had been investigated by Texas Child Protective Services but never arrested or charged, Denmon said.
The child welfare agency put all of her children in foster care after Jocelyn was taken to the hospital. All five of them, including Jocelyn, are now in the custody of their grandmother, Oefelia Escalona.
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This is a sticky situation.
There are plenty stories for you to exhibit your pathetic attempt at humor....go there.
For those of us who's lost a little girl in death or never had a baby girl ... you are SICK! And yes, boys count too, boys and girls are special in different and unique ways.
So why did Jerry Sandusky only get 30-60 years??????
My thought exactly
Because he wasn't tried in Texas...I dunno but he will die in prison so it's all good
I was thinking the same thing. It seems oddly out of proportion. But I am glad that the kids get a new chance. Who knows what she did to the other kids as well.
Both are horrible crimes. But it should have been Sandusky getting 99 years plus more and this woman getting 30 years. Any one who believes the law is fair and just is delusional especially when race is factored in. Before any one has children they should be forced to take parenting classes and be licensed.
Does anyone see a problem with a 23 year old woman having 5 children? I hate to venture to ask where the father and/or fathers of these children are. I do not believe that the punishment fits the crime. I have seen and heard of other cases where similar events have occurred and the punishment was much less. I am in no way excusing her behavior and there is no doubt that she should be punished but I'm not sure that this is the best choice. I am inclined to say that some therapy and counseling would be in order for this woman as well as jail time.
i'm inclined to say throw the switch, but that's just me. anyone who would beat a defenseless child deserves no less.
how many children from how many different fathers?
Why don't you super glue your own hands to a wall and beat your head against the wall repeatedly? Just don't cause severe enough brain damage to be on life-support because you want to be able to feel the affects of what it must have been like for the poor little girl.
I agree. A year or two in prison along with some consuling/therapy, followed by several years of probation would be a more appropriate action.
Yes, @ Laura, I wold agree with your assessment 100%. I just finished watching the video, and, the women does seem remorseful. Therefore, the 99 year sentence goes way overboard.
Well...once again a perfect example of why we need mandatory sterilization on breeders like this...creature. Spreads her legs for anyone and everyone and then pops out kids that WE have to support, and then tragedy like this happens. Wow...who didn't see THAT coming? Why not just put a bullet in her head and save us the cost of her incarceration?
It's hard to tell who the worse human being is this woman or you.
Seconded.
Gary: It's the woman, and you're not smart.
We are products of our environment. I bet she was abused by her parents and became what she is today. Too bad this wasn't stopped many children ago. She's 23. Might be able to rehabilitate. A bullet to the head is not a fix for someone this young.
Yeah, kids should be nowhere near family. News report said the girls mother had abused her as well. Who knows. Give the kids to someone who will love them
A terrible thing and her having five children and God knows what kind of abuse THEY have sufffered but I know of murderers, child killers, child rapists, those who have tortured people who have got less time than this woman.
Being a woman I was surprise they did anything to her.
only white women can walk free
The only thing that needed gluing here are the legs on this so called mother. Sick or not, what she did (that we know of) to this child is in no way excusable. We can only imagine if she committed any other heinous acts on any of her other children. Where is daddy (or most likely, daddies) in all of this?
Won't surprise me if grandma makes a call to 911 one day to report a few small lifeless bodies cluttering her house.
It's truly fascinating how our so-called justice system works. The evil, monster latina gets 99 years and Casey Anthony walks free.
One plead guilty, with witnesses.
And the other one killed her child with an illegal substance, chloroform, and then hides her daughter's dead body for over 1 month and then walks free. Like I said, truly fascinating.
Why a chance for parole in 30 years the judge gave her 99 years. She should do all 99 years or life without a single expensive state paid appeal or hearing of any kind and muh better yet she should be put to death to relieve our planet of human waste.
How sad. Obviously mom is mentally incompetent. I would bet the farm she was raised to behave like this. It may go back generations.
I hope one of her fellow inmates sticks her to a wall !
I wouldn't be surprised if she has more children from prison, you know some of those guards will be hitting that
Remember Andrea Yates? She drowned her five children in the bath tub and was found on appeal not guilty by reason of insanity. She is now in a posh psychiatric hospital and will some day be released.
Another case of wealthy white people get treated better in the US court system than minorities.
Wealthy? I think Anrdrea Yates was FAR from wealthy