Pair arrested for allegedly abusing disabled woman in their care
BY JENNIFER CABRERA
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Shamika Johnson Belle, 41, and Derell Percell Jenkins, 32, have been arrested and charged with false imprisonment, neglect of a disabled adult with great harm, and neglect of a disabled adult without great harm.
The victim, a 19-year-old woman who has been diagnosed with Down Syndrome, was reportedly found walking alone on U.S. Hwy 441 on October 30. The victim reportedly told law enforcement that Belle had punched her in the face because she drank a beverage belonging to Belle and that Belle had ordered her to leave her home.
In an interview at the Child Advocacy Center, the victim reportedly said that Belle locks her in her bedroom for 8-9 hours at a time while she is at work. The victim said she is left without food, water, a toilet, or any sort of communication device to call for help in case of an emergency. The victim also reportedly said she has to go to the bathroom in her closet and that Belle beats her for going to the bathroom in her closet. The victim said Belle sometimes refuses to feed her, but when she takes food from the kitchen because she is hungry, she is punished. She also said that Belle has isolated her from her family and that she does not feel safe living with Belle and Jenkins.
Two witnesses reportedly corroborated significant parts of the victim’s account, adding that Belle took the victim’s phone as punishment, that the victim is denied food as a form of punishment, and that Belle reversed the doorknobs on the victim’s room to lock her in.
The arrest report notes that the victim has previously disclosed this treatment to the Department of Children and Families.
Post Miranda, Belle denied locking the victim in her bedroom and denied the accounts of the victim and witnesses. She has no criminal convictions, and Judge Meshon Rawls ordered her released on her own recognizance with no contact with Jenkins or the victim. In response to a public records request, Alachua County Public Schools sent us an employee assignment record showing that Belle is a paraprofessional at Eastside High School.
Jenkins is listed as a co-defendant on Belle’s arrest report, and it appears that the same charges are pending against him. Jenkins is already in the Alachua County Jail; he was arrested on November 3 and charged with sexual assault on a victim over 18 years old. He is being held on $250,000 bail.
Articles about arrests are based on reports from law enforcement agencies. The charges listed are taken from the arrest report and/or court records and are only accusations. All suspects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
Is this another ghetto group home or are they related to the victim or what?
Her daughter smh
Ghetto huh😂🤣😂! Go ahead, might as well say the word u wanna say 🤣😂
Ghetto = ignorant, lacking standards of behavior and ethics due to being raised that way. “You can take the kid out of the ghetto, but you can’t take the ghetto out of the kid.” Get it? It’s a mindset, but it’s from years of brainwashing and conditioning and likely can’t be changed easily. At least they weren’t pimping her out, right? That was going on at an actual ghetto group home recently.
Jiggaboo is my favorite word of choice.
I knew you were a racist and I’m glad I didn’t find out when we worked together smh! But what’s weird is…you wanted to be black so bad 2014-2015 tried to have to swag, slang, and all 😂😂😂😂!
Like pretty much everything else in your life, you wouldn’t have done anything. I never wanted to be a lower race. That’s why stay employed and educated. Your country babble is nothing to try to be.
Yeah you were just trying to fit in with all the lies you brought with you from Chicago and your work visa 😂😂😂
Oh my, he said lower race!
Where is he employed?
Da block
If the shoe fits.
word is it was her own daughter.
Wow
Did DCF follow up? Any investigation? If not, that’s the real crime.
Doesn’t excuse these two who violated the trust placed on them but it has brought to light one of the “alleged” failures of DCF.
Appropriate punishment – lock them in a closet under the same conditions.
HTF did the victim fall into the perp couple’s “care”? Is it thru a gov’t foster style care for 18+ age mentally ill, similar or actually an ARC contractor?
The victim wanted to be with family, so why not, are they even worse?
What is wrong with this statement: “The arrest report notes that the victim has previously disclosed this treatment to the Department of Children and Families.” Was this investigated? I believe this would have called for removal or at least weekly health and welfare visits from DCF! They are going to blame the victim!
Also, one, if not both, is probably being paid a good sum of money to care for this young lady, at the taxpayer’s expense. They should be required to repay that money as they stamp license plates in their new home!
Are we going to hear that both perps were abused as children so they can be excused for their actions and receive counseling at the expense of the taxpayer? No criminal convictions? How many charges that were “let go” by the current criminal friendly court system?
These two should receive punishment reflective of what they dealt her! Go Old School and do it in the public square!
The victim is Shamika’s daughter. I have known Shamika for 20+ years and have never known her to be violent. I am praying for them all.
F**k her this is inexcusable, I’ve known her just as long also
When it comes to kids idc who u are I have no sympathy and I hope the weirdos get everything they deserve
You never know what goes on behind closed doors smh I feel sorry for her kid
looks as you don’t know her behind closed doors
Dead on my friend. We cannot continue to look at these monsters as people that are deserving of rehabilitation. They have zero possibility of reform. We must move on in society and treat each other with respect, which none of these will ever do, Sadly, they have chosen their paths.
There is a special place in hell for those who abuse children, disabled, and elderly….and to abuse your own child?? WTF
And the person who said “ghetto group home” Really?? SMH
The internet was a better place before people like Mr Peabody felt they had such a platform. People haven’t always felt so comfortable making racist and bigoted comments. Just another leftover ill effect of having a racist president that didn’t care about what he said or how it made people feel. It would be great if you could crawl back into your hole and keep all that to yourself or share it with like-minded individuals. Everyone doesn’t like hearing or reading your crap.
Oh so this is Trump’s fault. Give me a break. This is totally on the two who did this and nobody else. Start placing accountability where it belongs
Boo hoo! Orange Man Bad! DeathSantis gonna kill us alllll!
Since you are obviously very obtuse, I was inquiring as to whether this is another example of a poorly-run (ghetto) group home such as we have seen examples of lately. Employees beating patients, pimping them out, etc. Thankfully, this seems to be more of an isolated incident, although I interpret the term “caretaker” to mean she probably gets money from the state so it’s not very far removed from a group home. Give yourself an award for being a racist by equating the term ghetto with a particular race (I certainly don’t).
EVERYONE doesn’t like reading what I write, so I should stop writing for anyone? Give yourself a bullying award, too.
So far, we are a free society with the right to free speech. Keep bringing something to the table. The others will make sure they will not hear it. It is their concept of wokeness. Fingers in ears do them well.
Your comment is completely off target!
What does attacking an individual expressing themself have to do with the fact that a child has been abused (yes, allegedly!)?
Focus on the issue of this child!
Well, at least you got your handle correct. Please post something of substantive value.
Let us all not judge. Unless you are perfect and nobody is that.
Prison! Even though tax payers pay for it, I don’t mind at all.
Isn’t a caretaker someone that takes care of people after they’re dead? Caretaker, mortician, undertaker and such? Someone in charge of another living being is a caregiver. Huge difference.
care·tak·er
/ˈkerˌtākər/
Learn to pronounce
noun
1. A person employed to look after a building.
Similar: janitor, warden, attendant, porter, custodian, keeper, watchman, steward, curator, concierge, superintendent
2. NORTH AMERICAN
a person employed to look after people or animals.
Wow, Ms Belle works (worked) for Alachua county public e-school!! What was this person suppose to do while she worked? Why was she not enrolled in Horizon or Grow hub?
People with Down’s Syndrome aren’t normally confined to an institution or locked in some room. They can be somewhat functional and independent. It sounds like she needs a raise if she punches people out for eating her food. Real classy (not ghetto at all).
“Never wanted to a lower race…” That comment right there shows that YOU are a lower race. Judging someone based upon the lottery of birth – what country, what color, what parents – shows ignorance, not educated. Shame on you. There is no lower race. We all bleed red.
And if this was reported to DCF with no investigation, DCF needs to be held accountable. As do the alleged witnesses who allegedly saw and did nothing.
If ever there was a need for a bully beatdown.