A Department of Juvenile Justice detention officer was arrested for child abuse after allegedly battering a 15-year-old male inmate at the Pinellas Juvenile Detention Center.
According to the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office, the incident occurred on March 11, 2025, when the inmate requested assistance from staff. When his requests went unanswered, he began kicking his cell door. Detention Officer Anthony Sandora, 60, who was assigned to the area, opened the door and entered the cell. Witnesses reported that Sandora slapped the inmate in the face, pushed him onto a bed, and threw his belongings into the hallway before leaving the cell.
Deputies say that approximately five minutes later, the inmate began intentionally flooding his cell with water. Sandora returned, grabbed the inmate by the neck, pushed him onto the bed, and punched him in the face. The inmate was later moved to an isolation cell and was not injured.
On March 12, 2025, deputies arrested Sandora on one count of child abuse. He was booked into the Pinellas County Jail.
Sandora had been employed with the Department of Juvenile Justice for about 10 months before being terminated for violating department policies.
The investigation remains ongoing.