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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.
On Twitter
Get the feeling that if she was white and lived in New York, she would get a years probation and anger management counseling?
Get the feeling no-one cares about your opinion and the white card is over-rated? Get off government assistance. ROFL
First of all, I think she should earn her keep. (hard Labor) Why should the American people have to foot here bill? Second her children are with the grandmother. They need to watch her like a hawk. Alot of times that type of behavior is learned. Her mother might of did the same thing to her.
99 yrs is a punishment that fits the crime. now can we start giving out the same punishment to pedophiles
This made me cry...It also made me think back of Casey Anthony...and what she did to Caylee. Something has to be done for these poor children. They came into the world and will NEVER enjoy the good things that are out there. FRY THE WOMAN!!!
Thank goodness she will not be considered for release until after those kids are grown and she is beyond child-bearing years. I am not sure her mom is the best to take care of them either. She obviously did not raise her daughter right, otherwise she would have told her to keep her legs closed. Really, five kids by 23. Prayers that these children have a safe and loving life!
She did not get 99 years for gluing a toddler's hands. She got 99 years because she systematically beat her toddler nearly to death and showed no remorse; that is, until it was time to plea for mercy for herself.
is she some kind of m/c ? 5 kids by 23 ? giving birth like a troll ?
If she had worked for the church, she would have just been transferred somewhere else so she could do the same thing to other children.
John is just jealous of priests who get a free ride after molesting children.
23, pregnant when it happened, with two other kids....that watch their sister get glued to the wall and beat!
Think we have a societal problem or what!
by all means, lets let millions of these pour over our border. they will not assimilate. this is not unusual in her culture.
sadly, it's not unusual in american culture either, Jim. you can just go online and see all of the cases of american parents abusing their kids as well. lots of american women have kids out of wedlock. lots of american men abandon their responsibility to take care of their kids. this isn't about culture. it's about horrible parents – who, unfortunately, exist in every culture.
are you serious right now? you're gonna blame it on the fact that she is latino? wake up dude! caucasians, african american, asians... all types of people from all over the world abuse their children. this chick just happened to be one of the worse cases. hopefully the little girl wakes up from the coma.... let's stop blaming everything on race & culture.
Huh?
GOOD. She'll never hurt another child again ... and hopefully parole will be denied 30 years from now. Of course, by then she will claim she's "found Jesus" and that will be her excuse as to why she shouldn't have to face any more consequences. We hope you rot in prison, lady.
99 years for glueing and beating her child who survived? This is indeed a terrible act but does the sentence fit the crime? Sandusky only got 30 years for conditioning and raping all those boys. He should have been given the 99 years sentence (or a death sentence) and she should have gotten the a shorter sentence with the custody of the child removed.
I think 99 years is excessive. Might as well call it life. Recently, a convicted killer who dismembered his victim's body was just let out of prison in a town nearby, and he only did 25 years. After reading this story, is sounds like this mother just snapped. No excuse, but there is a huge difference between premeditated murder and child abuse. Yes, this act could have killed her child, but I guess my main issue is sentencing needs to be more consistent across the board.
It makes me sick that this woman could do something like this to her child. But I have to say it makes me sicker that they placed those poor children in the care of her mother. She learned that kind of behavior somewhere. Most abusers were abused as children. That has been proven by numerous psychology studies over the years and so we put the children in the custody of the person who taught their mother how to be a "responsible" adult. hmm what is wrong with Texas.
This country is whack.. depending on the mood of a judge you may either get probation OR 99 years in prison for child abuse.
This is Texas...that is why. But 99 years is way excessive for the crime. She should have been given 10 to 15 years max. If you are a Christian and look down at her, shame on you. We need to hate the crime or sin but love the sinner and pray for her. I hope she can find the way to the Lord.