CENTENNIAL, Colo. — On Monday, Kiarra Jones, a former Littleton school bus aide, pleaded not guilty to all charges related to an assault case involving a nonverbal boy with autism. The incident, captured on video, shows the boy being hit while riding the bus.
Jones, 29, faces eight felony counts of third-degree assault of an at-risk person and two misdemeanor counts of child abuse. Her trial is scheduled to start on February 25, 2025, according to Eric Ross, a spokesperson for the 18th Judicial District Attorney’s Office.
The charges stem from video footage from March 18, 2024, which allegedly shows Jones physically assaulting a 10-year-old boy. The footage reportedly shows Jones punching and elbowing the boy while he was seated quietly next to her on the bus.
In addition to the assault on the boy, Jones is accused of assaulting another child with autism. An attorney representing the victims’ families has stated that the children “suffered unimaginable abuse” over a period of about six months.
Jones was dismissed from her position as a bus monitor on March 19, and a warrant for her arrest was issued on April 4.
The public defender’s office is representing Jones but has not provided any comments on the case to the media.
