WYLIE, TEXAS: Alicia Calderon, 37, a Collin County woman, has been sentenced to 75 years in prison for the "sadistic torture" of a young woman who lived in her home.
She was convicted by a jury of first-degree felony offense of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon after her victim, 24-year-old Simone Valdez-Junkin, testified against her abuser.
Collin County District Attorney Greg Willis called her actions "sadistic torture" and announced her 75-year sentence.
"Calderon tricked the victim into living with her and then controlled her with unthinkable torture. She severely burned the victim's arms, chest, and back by pouring a pot of boiling water on her. She also deprived her of food, locked her in a dog crate, and cut off her communication to the outside world," said Willis after the sentencing.
"We hope and pray this jury's sentence will allow the victim to further heal from all the deep physical and emotional wounds inflicted by this defendant," he added.
Calderon's victim was a 24-year-old who moved in with her family in their trailer in 2019.
The agreement was that the victim would keep the house clean, care for Calderon's children, and cater to a disabled elderly woman in exchange for a free place to live.
According to Willis, the living arrangement worked well at first but the situation started to deteriorate after several months.
How did Alicia Calderon torture her victim?
The mistreatments began with Calderon first confiscating the victim's phone, then later restricting her food and her movements in and out of the trailer.
She began locking the victim in the room with the elderly woman whose condition had severely declined. The victim lost over half of her body weight until she no longer had the strength to take care of the elderly woman.
In July 2021, upon catching the victim sneaking food from the house, Calderon locked her in a dog crate and poured boiling water on her as punishment, injuring her legs.
Later that year, she again poured a pot of boiling water on the victim after an argument, severely burning her arms, chest, and back. The victim was not allowed to seek medical treatment.
On February 1, 2022, another member of the household let the victim borrow his phone. She messaged her stepfather on Facebook asking for help. That was the first time she had contacted her parents in two years.
The victim's stepfather called 911 and went to the trailer. The officials with the Collin County Sheriff's Office who responded had to remove stacked stones away from the door to recscue her.
The victim was down to sixty-eight pounds, her head was shaved, and her body was covered in second and third-degree burns.
When deputies found the elderly woman in the trailer, her condition had declined so much that they initially believed she was dead.
Richard Cass led investigation against Alicia Calderon
The victim's burn doctor testified to the extent of her injuries at trial. The victim underwent multiple surgeries, including skin grafts to recover from her severe burns. She spent six weeks in the hospital recovering from her injuries and malnourishment.
Prosecutors showed that Calderon spent $78,000 of the elderly woman's recently received inheritance within three months, and was cashing her social security checks for several years.
The money went toward tattoo shops, a party rental place, and new tire rims, according to investigator Joshua Duncan.
The jury was also informed by the prosecutors that Calderon was previously arrested for robbery in Dallas County but convicted of the lesser offense of misdemeanor theft in 2015.
