A Florida stepfather will likely see jail time after he was convicted of abusing his stepson, thanks to an eagle-eyed restaurant manager who noticed the boy was in distress.
Timothy Lee Wilson will be sentenced in August 2022 after he was found guilty Monday of two counts of false imprisonment of a child under the age of 13, three counts of aggravated child abuse with a weapon, four counts of aggravated child abuse, and one count of child neglect. The Orange County State Attorney's Office says that the conviction wouldn't have been possible without the brave actions of Mrs. Potato Restaurant manager Flaviane Carvalho.
Carvalho called 911 on January 1, 2021, after spotting the bruised, malnourished 11-year-old sitting at a table alone while the rest of his family sat at another table together, enjoying their meal.
If you suspect child abuse, you can call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-422-4453 (1-800-4-A-Child) or go to Childhelp.org. The hotline is available 24/7.
Carvalho carefully made her way past the boy's table and got his attention.
"When Ms. Carvalho noticed injuries on the victim, she signaled to identify whether he was in need of help by holding up a sign out of the sight of Mr. Wilson, and he acknowledged that he did," authorities shared in a statement.
The initial call prompted an investigation into the family's home life. Sadly, authorities discovered that things were far worse than they'd anticipated.
"He had been tortured, maliciously punished, and deprived of food and water for days at a time," they shared.
Not only this, but the boy was being secluded in a hotel room that the family rented as a storage space. Duct tape covered the peep hole so no one could see in or out.
"Officers recovered multiple items used as weapons — a bent metal pole, a wooden broom, a dolly cart, handcuffs, and ratchet straps used to tie the victim up," they detailed.
The boy's mother, Kristen Swann, admitted she knew just what her partner was doing to her son and allowed it to happen. She was also arrested and charged with two counts of child neglect.
"[I'm] relieved knowing that the abuser is paying for his crimes and the boy has a better chance in life," Carvalho said of the outcome.
Carvalho has also kept in contact with the boy.
"Now he's healthy. He's being loved. It's clear on his face and the way he's acting that he's much better now," she said.
"Justice was served."
Orlando Police Chief Orlando Rolón told WESH he believes Carvalho's action was truly lifesaving for this boy.
"We probably would've been talking about a potential homicide investigation if she had not intervened when she did," he said.
