How Could You? Hall of Shame-Dorothea Vega UPDATED

This will be an archive of heinous actions by those involved in child welfare, foster care and adoption. We forewarn you that these are deeply disturbing stories that may involve sex abuse, murder, kidnapping and other horrendous actions.

From Escambia County, Florida, adoptive mother and school parent liaison worker Dorothea Vega, 59 , was arrested on December 20, 2012 for “various domestic violence related charges including battery, torturing a child, caging a child, and cruelty towards a child that could result in physical or mental injury.  She is accused of hitting a child with various household items.  Investigators discovered alarms on the child’s bedroom door and learned that the child was beaten if the alarm sounded.  The victim was only permitted to leave the room to do chores and was not always permitted to eat and bathe.  The victim reportedly used a school restroom on occasion to bathe.

Vega is a temporary part-time parent liason at Ensley Elementary School who is employed by the School District.  She was arrested and taken into custody at the school.  She was booked into the Escambia County Jail and is being held without bond, ” according to MugShots.

MugShots.com Dorothea Vega file

She “allegedly hit the girl with sticks and shoes, barred her from eating and bathing  and raised her in deplorable conditions.”
“It also reported Vega, a part-time worker at  Ensley Elementary School, allegedly gave the girl a large amount of  anti-psychotic drugs and allergy medication in an effort to control her.”

“Police escorted her away from the elementary  school where she has worked for two years. ”

“The report says that the girl told police: ‘her  mother hits all of her body but mostly on her head and face … (with) toilet  plungers, brooms, sticks, shoes, rulers and wooden spoons along with an open or  closed fist.’ ”

“The warrant reportedly claims the abuse took  place between August 1 and November 2 [2012]”.

“Escambia County Schools Superintendent Malcolm  Thomas told the News-Journal that Vega would not be allowed on campus until the  case is closed.”

School worker ‘starved and tortured adopted daughter who she kept prisoner in alarmed bedroom’

[Daily Mail 12/23/12]

“If the girl left, the report says, Vega would beat her. Deputies later went to the home and found the “deplorable” living conditions, the Sheriff’s Office said, which included “a dirty mattress on the floor, windows screwed shut and a dog cage with feces in it.”

“The report also says that Child Protective Services is looking into the case.”

Ensley Elementary School worker faces abuse charges

[Pensacola News Journal.com 12/20/12 by Erin Kourkounis]

REFORM Puzzle Pieces

Update/July 16, 2013: A search of Escambia county court records shows the following:

She has  filed charges and one charge not filed on her record. One felony is “ACT THAT COULD RESULT IN PHYS MENTAL INJURY TOWARD CHILD”. The other charge filed is a misdemeanor “BATTERY-TOUCH OR STRIKE” A felony count of “torture, punish cage a child” has no action taken by prosecutor.

A written plea of not guilty was filed by her lawyer on January 8, 2013. She was arraigned on the 2 charges on January 25, 2013. A trial was set for April 15, 2013 and then it was continued to June 10, 2013. Then in May, the jury trial was reset for August 5, 2013.

Update 2/August 19, 2013: A search of Escambia county court records shows the following: The date has been reset for September 18, 2013 as docket day and September 30, 2013 for jury selection.

Update 3/June 14,2014: On September 24,2013 she plead Nolle prosequi to the first two charges.