In The News

01.31.

Proud Parents: In The News

A South Side father who allegedly posted a Facebook photo of his 22-month-old daughter bound and gagged was just joking around and the whole case has been “blown out of proportion” by the Internet, his attorney and family said today.

Andre Curry, 21 — who has no criminal background — was charged with aggravated domestic battery, a felony, after turning himself in to police on Tuesday.

A woman who answered the phone at the family home Wednesday and identified herself as Curry’s grandmother said he loves his daughter and would never do anything to harm her.

“He’s so playful, always laughing,” said the woman, who would not give her name. “Everyone who knows him saw the photo and laughed too…He was only joking.”

She also said he knows what he did was a mistake and “feels awful,” especially now that the photo has gone viral on the Internet.

The photo shows the toddler bound and gagged with blue painter’s tape. Across the top of the photo are the words: “This is wut happens wen my baby hits me back” and then a smiley face, according to Assistant State’s Attorney Erin Antonietti.

Curry’s attorney, Anand Sundaran, said his client was just joking around and that the child was never harmed or in danger. “Unfortunately due to the Internet, this case has been blown out of proportion,” Sundaran said.

He asked the judge to release Curry on electronic monitoring, but she denied the request.

Instead, Judge Laura Sullivan set bond today at $100,000 and ordered Curry to have no contact with his daughter or any other children and barred him from using the Internet while his case was pending.

The Illinois Department of Children and Family Services had already intervened and placed the girl with her mother and Curry was granted supervised visitation, he said.

Chicago police said they began investigating Dec. 14 after someone brought the photo to their attention. DCFS also said they were investigating the incident and that the agency had no prior contact with the family.

Curry, of the 6100 block of South Racine Avenue, works at an Applebee’s restaurant and graduated from Chicago Vocational High School in 2007, according to records. He appeared in court in a white hooded sweatshirt and dark pants and did not address the judge.

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01.29.

Proud Parents: IN THE NEWS


Pictured above is a 10 year old girl from Central Pakistan, scarred from acid that had been thrown in her face. This type of assault is common in Pakistan, with thousands suffering the same fate each year. Including Anvu Sha, a 15 year old recently murdered by her parents in this “honour style” killing. Her crime? Talking to a boy. Her parents told hospital workers their daughter tried to commit suicide, but when they wouldn’t let the rest of the family see the face of the deceased girl at the funeral, the eldest sister grew suspicious. Continue reading to check out the entire, shocking, news story.. › Continue reading

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01.27.

Proud Parents: In The News

DALLAS — Elizabeth Escalona, the 23-year-old mother of five who admitted to gluing her daughter’s hands to the wall and beating her as potty training punishment, was sentenced Friday to 99 years.

In announcing the sentence, state District Judge Larry Mitchell said Escalona “savagely beat” her child and deserved to be punished.

During closing arguments earlier Friday, prosecutor Eren Price told the court to give Escalona’s children peace by knowing she would never come walking through their door in the future.

The prosecution showed photos of the apartment where Jocelyn Cedillo was glued to the wall, saying “We have to imagine what it was like.”

Defense attorneys said Escalona needs anger management and treatment. They painted her life as a miserable one of abuse and drugs.

Escalona faced from probation to life in prison, and prosecutors had sought 45 years behind bars.
While on the stand Thursday, Escalona sobbed as a prosecutor ordered her to look at the injuries she inflicted on her daughter’s body.

She cried and didn’t speak for several seconds after prosecutor Eren Price displayed a photo of then-2-year-old Jocelyn during Escalona’s sentencing hearing. Dozens of red and brown marks from the September 2011 beating covered Jocelyn’s back.

“Ms. Escalona, if you can do it, you can look at it,” Price said in a loud, sharp voice.

Escalona, who pleaded guilty in July to felony injury of a child, was on the witness stand for a second day.

Police say Escalona kicked her daughter in the stomach, beat her with a milk jug, then stuck her hands to an apartment wall with an adhesive commonly known as Super Glue. Escalona’s other children told authorities their mother attacked Jocelyn due to potty training problems.

Jocelyn suffered bleeding in her brain, a fractured rib, bruises and bite marks, and was in a coma for a couple of days. Some skin had been torn off her hands, where doctors also found paint chips from the apartment wall, witnesses testified.

Prosecutors have portrayed Escalona as an unfit mother with a history of violence, and Price has repeatedly referred to her as a “monster.” Escalona has admitted she behaved like a monster when she beat Jocelyn, but insists she isn’t one now.

Price asked Escalona what she thought should happen in the case. Escalona replied in a soft, halting voice: “I should be put away.” Then, she added, “But I also think I should be given a second chance.”

When Price asked her why, she responded: “Because I’m not a monster.”

Escalona also testified that her children were a source of stress. “They didn’t bother me, but I did (need) a little break,” she said.

She described one of her sons misbehaving and getting into fights and another daughter once leaving home without her permission. Under questioning from defense attorney Angie N’Duka, Escalona said she was learning ways to deal with her anger and the stress of raising five children.

But Price said she still didn’t understand what could have caused the attack on Jocelyn.
“Explain to us what about your stress is unique from what everybody else in this world lives through every single day,” she said.

In her testimony, Escalona admitted she often doesn’t tell the truth and had lied to doctors and others assigned to her case. But she resisted Price’s repeated efforts to get her to admit she was a liar.

“I’m not a liar,” Escalona said. “I have a hard time trusting people.”

Escalona acknowledged several missteps in her childhood: hanging around with gang members and trying marijuana around the age of 11, assaulting her mother at 12 and getting pregnant with her first child at 14.

She also admitted drinking and doing drugs after she was released from jail on bond in February.
Despite what she described as problems paying rent and other bills, Escalona admitted she was using marijuana about twice a day in the time before she attacked Jocelyn.

Price said Escalona will be eligible for parole in 30 years. N’Duka said she plans to appeal.

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