Families of several profoundly autistic children who were allegedly abused by a former Littleton school bus aide are upset about delays in the criminal case.
The latest court date in the case against Kiarra Jones, 29, was postponed for a third time this week, despite the parents’ strong objection.
Eighteenth Judicial Deputy District Attorney Aven Rose said that the parents “wish to see the case go forward.” Defense attorneys needed more time to watch surveillance videos.
Some of those parents were in the courtroom for what was supposed to be a preliminary hearing, where a judge determines if there’s enough evidence to send the case to trial, and plea for several of the 13 charges against Jones. The charges range in date from Jan. 1 to March 28, 2024, and involve three children who rode the Littleton Public Schools bus to and from The Joshua School at 2303 E. Dartmouth Ave.
For some of the children, that bus ride was 45 minutes each way.
One of those students, 10-year-old Dax Vestal, was shown in a surveillance video sitting in a Littleton Public School bus seat next to Jones during an incident of pushing and shoving. His mother, Jess Vestal, is upset that the former aid is out on bond.