A Volusia County teacher was arrested on Saturday after deputies say she used her legs to put a 3-year-old in a headlock during class.
According to an arrest affidavit obtained by WESH 2, Vilma Otero, 59, is facing child abuse charges after a paraeducator in her classroom witnessed the incident and submitted a Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF) report.
The paraeducator, who was assigned to Otero's classroom at Forest Lake Elementary, told deputies she was setting up an activity during the children's storytime when she started to hear screaming and crying from the other side of the room, the affidavit reads.
When the paraeducator turned around, she said she saw Otero sitting in a chair with the toddler between her legs. According to the affidavit, the paraeducator said the boy's face was turning red as he screamed and tried to free himself from the chokehold.
The paraeducator took photos of the incident and sent them to deputies, who say they saw "Otero's legs and feet placed on both sides of (the child's) neck appearing to hold him in place on his back, while Otero continues reading to the other children in the classroom."
Deputies were able to make contact with the child's family and the toddler after receiving the DCF report.
Because the child is so young and also has autism, deputies say they weren't able to communicate much with the boy. According to the affidavit, he was able to tell deputies he "got in trouble at school" and said, "she hurt me."
Deputies say they also found slight redness on the child's neck.
When deputies responded to Otero's residence, the woman told officials she has been a teacher for 36 years, adding that the majority of her experience involved kids with special needs. Additionally, Otero told deputies she had received specialized training for teaching children with special needs, adding that the most common practice was to move children to another room when they needed time to calm down.
The woman denied restraining the child in the way the paraeducator described, continuing to maintain her innocence even after deputies showed her the photos, the affidavit says.
Because deputies observed physical marks on the boy's neck and were told by the paraeducator that the young child was attempting to flee from the position he was put in, officials say there was probable cause to place Otero under arrest.
The woman is facing a felony charge of child abuse without great bodily harm.
The schools district released the following statement:
"Volusia County Schools is aware of the recent arrest of a Forest Lake Elementary teacher.
VCS is committed to the safety and well-being of all of our students and is taking this situation very seriously.
As such, our Professional Standards department is currently conducting a thorough investigation to determine the appropriate next steps. The teacher is currently on administrative leave."