Detention officer slaps and punches 15-year-old at juvenile center, Florida cops say

A juvenile detention officer repeatedly assaulted a 15-year-old inmate who’s accused of kicking his cell door when his calls for assistance “went unanswered,” Florida authorities said.

The officer, 60-year-old Anthony Sandora, was fired from his job of 10 months with the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice and charged with child abuse, according to the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office.

The teen inmate housed at the Pinellas Juvenile Detention Center asked staff for help with something March 11, but his requests didn’t get a response from Sandora, who was on duty in the inmate’s area at the time, deputies said.

The 15-year-old boy began kicking the door to his cell, deputies said, then Sandora went over, opened the door and went inside, where he’s accused of slapping the boy and pushing him onto the bed.

The corrections officer threw the teen’s items into the hall before leaving, deputies said.

The teen then “began to intentionally flood his cell with water,” so Sandora came back five minutes later and went into the cell again, according to deputies.

He’s accused of grabbing the teen’s neck, pushing him onto the bed and punching him in the face.

Deputies said the teen wasn’t injured and was taken to an “isolation cell.”

Sandora was arrested the next day and charged with child abuse.

Pinellas County includes the Tampa Bay area.

This story was originally published March 14, 2025 at 12:49 PM with the headline "Detention officer slaps and punches 15-year-old at juvenile center, Florida cops say."