VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) — A former Virginia Beach bus assistant who was accused of biting and scratching a 9-year-old with special needs has entered a plea agreement.
The plea agreement, filed in Virginia Beach Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court April 21, says Adela Avila pleaded guilty to two counts of assault and battery.
The matter will be continued for one year. If she complies with treatment such as anger management or counseling and maintains good behavior, the charges against her will be dismissed.
To have the charges dismissed, she must also have no contact with the victim or his family and no longer work with children who have special needs without specialized training.
According to authorities, the incident involving Avila happened in November 2019 on a Virginia Beach school bus.
In January 2020, the student’s family spoke with 10 On Your Side. They said the then-9-year-old boy had autism and was riding the bus when Avila bit and scratched him.
The boy’s mother said she was called to pick her son up after the alleged incident and he told her what happened. She took him to a medical facility, where they noticed the bite marks, scratch marks and bruises.
