Authorities in Arizona say a behavioral therapist was arrested after surveillance video allegedly captured him assaulting a 5-year-old child with autism during a one-on-one session at an autism treatment center in the Phoenix-area city of Peoria. The suspect, identified as 42-year-old Adolfo Salas, faces felony child abuse and aggravated assault charges, according to police and court records reported by local outlets.
Investigators allege the child was nonverbal and on the autism spectrum, and that video from inside the facility showed Salas kicking the child while the child was on hands and knees cleaning up trash. Police said the child later had visible bruising under one eye and received medical treatment. Salas was arrested after officers reviewed the surveillance footage.
Court records show a judge set bond at $5,000 and ordered electronic monitoring if Salas is released while the case continues. Prosecutors had sought a much higher bond of $100,000, citing the severity of the allegations and the vulnerability of the child. A Maricopa County Attorney’s Office representative said that without the video recording, the child would not have been able to describe what happened.
The allegations have drawn strong public outrage because the accused worked in a trusted role with children requiring specialized care. The autism treatment center where the incident allegedly occurred said it has a zero-tolerance policy for conduct that endangers children and announced that Salas had been fired. The facility stated that it takes seriously any behavior that compromises the safety or well-being of the children entrusted to its care.
The case is expected to proceed through the court system in the coming months.
