Teacher Aides Who Tied Up Autistic Student Avoid Jail Time

BRADENTON — Taylor-Joy Internicola and Hydalmy Ortiz, former Manatee County teacher aides who were arrested after tying up a nonverbal 7-year-old autistic student at G.D. Rogers Garden-Bullock Elementary last year, will not serve jail time.

Internicola, 40, pleaded no contest to false imprisonment. Circuit Judge Matt Whyte sentenced her to one year of probation and 60 days in the Work Offender Program. Internicola is banned from contact with the victim and prohibited from teaching, working with children under 13, or working as a coach or child-care provider.

Ortiz, 42, was initially charged with false imprisonment. She pleaded no contest to reduced misdemeanor counts of battery and contributing to the delinquency of a child in June. Judge Whyte sentenced her to two years of probation with 90 days in the Work Offender Program, with the same victim contact ban and future work restrictions.