MIAMI – A Miami-Dade County jury has found a special needs teacher guilty of abuse after authorities say she put hot sauce in a student's soda.
Sylvia Tagle was convicted of abuse Tuesday.
Authorities say she gave the soda with hot sauce mixture to an autistic student to teach him a lesson. But Tagle says the boy grabbed the soda from her desk when she was with other students.
Jurors found Tagle not guilty of three other charges, including pulling a student's hair. Her attorney says she's a strict but dedicated teacher who maintains her innocence.
Tagle taught at the Bob Graham Educational Center in Miami Lakes. Her sentencing is set for Oct. 7. She faces a maximum of five years in jail.
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