A jury in Orange County found a 36-year-old man guilty of multiple counts of child abuse nearly a year and a half after an observant Orlando waitress reported his stepson in distress to the police. Flaviane Carvalho was serving the family of the accused, Timothy Lee Wilson, at her restaurant Mrs. Potato on New Year's Day 2021 when the incident occurred.
Florida Waitress Saves Child Abuse Victim By Holding Up A Secret Sign
By
Haider Ali in
News
On 7th June 2022
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On New Year's Day last year, Flaviane Carvalho was working at Mrs. Potato Restaurant in Orlando when Timothy Lee Wilson, 36, came in with his family.
Carvalho noted that no food had been ordered for the young boy while serving the family's table.
According to WESH 2, the boy had multiple scrapes and bruises on his face and arms, which the attentive restaurant worker noted.
Orange County Jail
Concerned, the heroic server wrote a letter to the then-11-year-old that asked, "Do you need help?" and flashed it to him while standing behind his parents' backs.
Carvalho dialed 911 as soon as the child nodded yes.
“I’m super concerned and I don’t know what to do, can you give me some advice?” Carvalho asked the dispatcher, according to WFLA.
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“The boy is with bruises and he’s not eating.”
Investigators discovered that Wilson, the child's stepfather, had subjected him to horrific torture and abuse, including being hung upside down from a door on Christmas Day and handcuffed to a dolly.
Officials praised Carvalho's bravery, saying she might have saved the boy's life.
Orlando Police
“We probably would’ve been talking about a potential homicide investigation if she [Carvalho] had not intervened when she did,” Orlando Chief of Police Orlando Rolón said last year.
Carvalho's quick thinking went viral at the time, and her boss's online campaign raised nearly $50,000.
About the weekend, the waitress updated the fundraising page to express her joy over the conviction.
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“Justice served!” she wrote, adding that the boy is now being cared for in a loving home. “He is happy and healthy.”
Wilson was found guilty of several offenses by a jury on Monday, including four counts of aggravated child abuse and one case of child neglect, according to prosecutors.
Orange County Jail
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In August, he is expected to be sentenced.
Kristin Swann, the boy's mother, acknowledged knowing about the abuse but failed to intervene. According to WESH, she has also been detained and charged with two charges of child neglect.
The victim and his then-4-year-old sister, who had not been abused, were taken out of their care.