Trial continues for teaching assistant who dunked disabled kids' heads underwater
Catherine Rios, a teaching assistant at the school's pool, submerged the head of a 7-year-old with autism underwater to try to get him to calm down and stop spitting water.
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A Rockland teaching assistant facing felony charges relating to her dunking two disabled students' heads in a pool was back in court Friday.
Catherine Rios made her case for innocence in Rockland County Court, while relatives of one of the alleged victims tried to maintain their composure during Day 3 of the bench trial.
Dan Bertolino, the attorney for Rios, pointed out Friday that some of Rios's colleagues and supervisors at the Jesse Kaplan School in West Nyack told police they did not think Rios did anything wrong back on Jan. 21.
Rios, a teaching assistant at the school's pool, submerged the head of a 7-year-old with autism underwater to try to get him to calm down and stop spitting water.
She then dunked Prince Wilson, 6, who also has autism and is non-verbal.
Rios was first charged with two misdemeanor counts of endangering the welfare of a child.
A grand jury later added two felony counts of endangering the welfare of a physically disabled person.
Prince's sisters took some issue with Bertolino saying that in eight years working as a teacher's aide at the school's pool, Rios dunked about 1,500 students' heads underwater and no one complained about it until January.
"I don't understand why anyone would make a claim like that to defend themselves," Mariyah Santana said." As if that makes them look any better."
Rockland Executive Assistant District Attorney Kristin Tirino aimed to show that the manner by which the two boys were dunked matters.
Kaplan teaching assistant Maggie Maur testified she saw Prince making his way toward the ramp to get out of the pool when Rios came up behind him, put both hands on his head, pushed him underwater, and said "Be quiet."
Some in Prince's family teared up as Maur showed the court with her hands how she remembers Rios dunking Prince.
The family wants the visual to stick with Rockland Judge Kevin Russo, who will ultimately decide whether Rios is guilty or not guilty.
"Prince is going to get the justice that he deserves," Andreyah Roberston said of her brother. "That's it."
Judge Russo scheduled the trial to resume Tuesday morning.
The defense is planning to call Catherine Rios to the stand.
