Staffer accused of assaulting child at Queen Creek autism center appears in court

By Janet Perez
Mail | X: @AzNewsmedia

A 19-year-old woman is facing charges in connection with the alleged assault of a child at a center in Queen Creek that provides autism therapy.

The Queen Creek Police Department recently issued a statement that it received a report of an alleged assault of a 5-year-old child by a staff member at Action Behavior Centers.

There are two Action Behavior Centers in Queen Creek, but police did not specify which was the site of the alleged assault.

Detectives immediately began an investigation and submitted charges to the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office.

Two counts of aggravated assault, a Class 6 felony, were filed against Holmes in Maricopa County Superior Court.

The charges state Holmes “knowingly did touch … a minor under 15 years of age, with the intent to injure, insult or provoke him,” according to court documents obtained by the Queen Creek Independent.

Although QCPD’s statement indicates only one child was involved, the charges mention an A and B “confidential victim."

Action Behavior Centers' Chief Marketing Officer Matt Stringer stated in an email that Holmes is no longer employed with the company.

“ABC’s highest priority is patient safety and the well-being of our families. In this case, ABC immediately reported the conduct to the Arizona Department of Child Safety and initiated an internal investigation. ... ABC maintains the highest standards for teammate training, background checks, ethics and compliance training, and provides multiple channels for teammates and families to raise concerns,” Stringer stated.

Janet Perez
News Editor | Queen Creek & San Tan Valley

jperez@iniusa.org

Meet Janet
Janet Perez joined Independent Newsmedia as editor of the Queen Creek Independent and Florence Independent in 2020. She started her career in 1989 with the Gannett-owned El Paso Times. In 1992, she moved to Tempe and has worked in newspapers, magazines, radio and television. She left Arizona for three years to work at New Mexico State University and Baylor University before returning to work at Arizona State  University. Missing the business, she went back to journalism in 2017.

Community: A long-time pet owner, she supports animal welfare causes.

Education: University of Texas at El Paso with a BA in journalism and a minor in political science. 

Random Fact: She had a head full of random facts.  

Hobbies: Reading, watching documentaries, cooking and playing with her dogs.