Elizabeth Escalona, the Dallas mother who kicked and beat her 2-year-old daughter and superglued her hands to the wall of their apartment was sentenced to 99 years in prison on Friday.
Texas District Judge Larry Mitchell said at Escalona’s sentencing: “On September 7, 2011, you savagely beat your child to the edge of death. For this you must be punished.”
The 23-year old mother of five pleaded guilty in July to felony injury. However, during her sentencing hearing, Escalona admitted to kicking and beating the toddler. Reports say, the girl was so badly injured she remained hospitalized in a coma for a week.
Escalona says the beating began after having problems toilet training the child. Police say, she then glued the toddler’s hands to a wall in the family’s apartment with strong-bonding glue. Escalona and her attorney requested a lighter sentence of probation from Judge Mitchell, sighting that Escalona herself was the victim of a bad upbringing who is sorry for what she did and wants to turn her life around.
“This is way too harsh,” Escalona’s attorney told reporters. “She is just a kid. She’s only 23 years old. She’s been a victim all her life.”
After being offered a plea deal of 45 years in prison, Escalona turned it down. Her attorney has plans to appeal. Escalona’s remaining 4 children are now living with relatives.
