A man caught on video physically abusing an 88-year-old man the abuser was hired to help was sentenced to two years of house arrest and four years of probation on Wednesday, according to the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office in Florida.
Home surveillance footage shows 20-year-old Jonah Delgado punching, slapping, and shoving the seated victim, Fox 13 reported.
“The actions of this man are deplorable, unacceptable and disturbing,” Sheriff Chad Chronister said after Delgado’s arrest in August 2020, Fox 13 reported. “Delgado was trusted to take care of this man and to protect him. He not only broke this trust but put this man in direct danger with his actions. I am very proud of our detectives who worked quickly to get [Delgado] in custody before he could hurt anyone else.”
(Jonah Delgado at his virtual hearing. Screenshot/YouTube/Fox 13)
The caretaker pleaded guilty at the virtual hearing Wednesday to three third-degree felonies, two counts of elder abuse, and battery of a victim over the age of 65.
“If I can just say one thing, I just wanted to apologize. I understand that the victim’s son is here and I just wanted to apologize to him,” Delgado said during the hearing. (RELATED: Five-Star Nursing Home Allegedly Engaged In Elder Abuse Against Legendary Educator)
Delgado received a sentence of two years of house arrest and four years of probation on the condition he would have “no caretaker employment at all,” Hillsborough Circuit judge Laura Ward explained, Fox 13 reported.
The perpetrator nodded his head in agreement as he heard the sentence, Fox 13 reported. Delgado will participate in mandatory anger management courses and 200 hours of community service, and he will write the victim an apology letter as part of the plea deal.
All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any legitimate news publisher that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter’s byline and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.