[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.
No need for a 99 year sentence. Glue her hands to the wall and kick her in the slot 10 times daily with a #12 steel-toed work boot (I recommend a 2218 Redwing Men's Logger/Lineman's 9", they last forever).
What happened to the other "Monster" who put a tiny baby in the microwave and killed her?
Thank god we got another gang banger off the streets. Why don't we just kill her to save taxpayer money? I would be for that.
Just shoot her 🙂 We save tax $$ and send the message at the same time... and for all who argue about the sentencing... what if that was YOUR kid? think its still excessive now?
I totally agree shoot her and Sandusky with the same dadgummed bullet.
I Agree ............... 🙁 🙁 .. I feel soooo very sorry for the kid
Man that's a long time! Too bad, that neck tattoo just makes her so desirable. What a piece of trash.
Heeeyaaa Texas style justice. I wouldn't even fly over texas if I had a choice.
would you rather she walked free?
yes..we mean it when we say "DONT MESS WITH TEXAS"
That woman deserved what she got. Physical abuse is unacceptable period. But physical abuse on a 2yr. old kid is unforgivable in my book. This woman obviously knew what she was doing and it didn't bother her at all.
I'm sure Texes is a better place without you anyways.
Now if we could just start handing out sentences for drug dealers and repeat offenders maybe our would would be better off
that is abuse it is terrible i mean that's just ridiculous those kids did not deserve that no one deserves abuse
This woman is a monster .... were the hell is the childs father at ?
exactly!... where the heck is the father or are the fathers of all of these children?
Obviously this woman couldn't handle anymore children but yet she just kept getting pregrnant...very irresponsible
I understand they want to keep the kids with family, but it seems wrong for them to give custody to the grandmother who is the same woman who raised this horrible mother. What makes the child welfare system thinks these kids will turn out any better being raised by the same woman who "gave" love and "taught" morals to their mother?
I think it is a bit unfair to label the grandmother "unfit" to raise the children just because her daughter turned out to be a horrible person. The grandmother could be the total opposite of her daughter but I certainly understand the concern. My biggest concern though is if whether or not the grandmother can take care of all 5 children at the same time. I hope the CPS will keep close tabs on them to make sure the children are safe.
Actually, testimony given by her was that she also abused her mother when mother was ill. This woman is mentally incompetent to raise a roach. The inmates have a different justice system. Justice will definitely have been served much much sooner than 90 years. Certain crimes are unacceptable...even to society's ills.
I know someone that killed a person and got 6 years... Our legal system is a joke.
There is a story in my local paper, of a man who just got 12 years sentence for his part in a marijuana ring. Twelve years for pot but you can kill someone while drunk and get 2 years. And I KNOW a person who did that and that was their sentence. Our justice system is kind of wacked up.
Sherri, most people in the world could care less about pot. It's far far far far FAR less of a problem than alcohol (the legal drug). Now as far as someone doing 2 years for killing someone while drunk...I think that is completely butt-backwards. Those crimes should be treated as intentional murders. You willingly drink then get behind the wheel of a deadly weapon (car). Those crimes deserve 99 years. The woman who nearly beat her daughter to death deserves 99 years and I only hope we find a way to prolong life soon so she can experience each year of those 99 years. As I said in an earlier post though, prison has its own justice system. Once word is out about her crime, she'll be dealt some pretty heavy blows on a regular basis, if not fatal ones. She may have just received a death penalty without anyone recognizing it.
What a piece of browntrash. Unfortunately she is still going to be living off of tax payers money while she is in jail. Its going to cost around $30k to keep this disgrace of a human being alive and she doesnt even deserve to breathe free air. I wish someone would just string her up by her tattooed neck and save us some money and more importantly remove her from this world. Get a rope!
Let me get this straight . . . she is 23, has 5 kids and one on the way, neck tattoo , commonly found on inmates, crying for herself, not her child, probably on welfare, drugs, probaby does not know the names of the fathers, has probably had all possible STDs, several previous abortions. proably never graduated HS, no GED. She doesn't know aboutbirth control, abstinence, All that by the time she is 23. . Thank God she will no longer be able to bear more children by the time she is eligible for parole.
Kristi, I think the woman got the just sentence for the heinous crime. However, I really have to take umbrage with your comment...there are far more assumptions in it than facts. You DO remember what assuming does, right? Start braying, dear.
She wanted a second chance. To do it again I suppose? I hope the state of Texas makes sure she never sees her kids again and never has custody of any of them. And that they take away the one she is pregnant with. These poor kids will suffer from this the rest of their lives, in one way or another. Believe me, I know what happens when one of them grows up. They carry this pain with them forever. I married a person who was abandoned by their parent and that pain never leaves them.
I got 99 problems but bein' locked up ain't one.
BadMommynomorekids4you,
Stop posting... "where the hell is the kids father at?". First of all, it is probably fathers not father. Second ending a sentence with AT makes you sound like an uneducated fool! Get an education!