PORT RICHMOND — A Staten Island aide was arrested after she punched a man with an intellectual disability while he was in her care, prosecutors said.
Rosita Dejesus, 47, was arrested and charged with attempted assault Tuesday for the Feb. 11 attack.
"Violence against individuals in care must not be tolerated," said Patricia Gunning, a special prosecutor for the state's Justice Center for the Protection of People with Special Needs.
"Defendants, such as this one, who disregard their obligations to individuals with disabilities by intentionally attempting to injure them, will be charged."
On Feb. 11, Dejesus, of Orlando, Florida, was caring for the man while working for Crossroads Unlimited, Inc., at 1207 Castleton Ave. in Port Richmond when she repeatedly punched him in the face and body, Gunning said.
The director of Crossroad Unlimited did not respond to a request for comment.
Dejesus was arrested on Tuesday for the attack and charged with endangering the welfare of an incompetent or physically disabled person, attempted assault, menacing and harassment at her arraignment, Gunning said.
She was also fired from her post at Crossroad Unlimited, prosecutors said.
Dejesus' bail was set at $1,000 and she's due back in court on June 14, according to online court records.
Her lawyer did not respond to a request for comment.
