A former Lompoc Unified School District employee who was accused of abusing a 10-year-old special needs student on a bus has pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge.
The Santa Barbara County District Attorney’s office announced Tuesday that Arthur Leroy Carlos, 52, pleaded guilty to the misdemeanor charge of willful cruelty to a child in his care or custody.
Carlos was arrested in October. Investigators say a child came home from school on October 16. The child was crying and told his parents an aide hurt him. Investigators say surveillance video showed Carlos putting his hands around the child’s neck and pushing his head against a window.
After news of the incident surfaced, the district said Carlos was a newly-hired employee and that he was no longer with the district. The D.A.’s office says Carlos worked as an attendant on the school bus and was responsible for ensuring the safety and security of the children in his care.
Carlos entered the guilty plea during an arraignment in Lompoc Superior Court.
He was sentenced to four years of probation, 10 days of jail time, and ordered to pay $675 in fines and fees. He was ordered to have no contact with the victim or his parents, and he is not allowed to own or possess any gun or illegal weapon while on probation.
