Former Colorado School Bus Aid Pleads Guilty to 12 Charges Related To Abusing, Assaulting Students With Autism

A former school bus aide in Colorado pleaded guilty on Monday to 12 out of 13 charges related to allegations that she assaulted three students with autism in 2024.

Kiarra Jones, 30, was arrested in April 2024 and later charged with 10 counts of third-degree assault of an at-risk person, two counts of child abuse causing injury, and one count of child abuse causing serious bodily injury related to the incidents when she worked for Littleton Public Schools. She initially pleaded not guilty to all of the charges.

She pleaded guilty on Monday, the day her trial was supposed to start. Attorneys for the victims’ families say the victims were three 10-year-old non-verbal boys with autism. At least one of the incidents was caught on video.

“Today marks a step toward accountability and a step closer to justice and safety for our community. Ms. Jones’ actions weren’t just criminal, they were cruel,” Ciara Anderson, an attorney representing some of the victims’ families, said at a news conference after the hearing ended.

Anderson, who works for the law firm Rathod Mohamedbhai LLC, said the families are seeking the maximum prison sentence of 15 years. Anderson estimates a prison sentence of 5 to 7 years, but said it could be more, depending on whether the judge issues consecutive or concurrent sentences for each charge.

When asked for his reaction to the plea, Kevin Yarborough, whose son, Hunter, was one of the victims, said, “mixed emotions to say the least.”

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