The adopted son of Anna Adamo claims she abused him and tried to poison him too.
The baby sitter, 59, is charged with giving antifreeze to an 11 month old toddler causing health problems.
Aiden said he was adopted and was later emancipated from the family at age 15.
He claimed he suffered from a variety of emotional abuse mostly between the ages of 10 and 14.
He went on to state he had been treated differently than his siblings and was never allowed to go into his bedroom unless it was to sleep at night.
He claimed he saw Adamo put Dawn dishwasher soap into his food.
“For about a year or so she was putting hefty amounts of blue dish soap into my food. I saw her do it. I looked around the corner one time and saw her throw it onto a boat of chili and she would force me to eat it.”
Adamo said the Department of Children and Families investigated the home in 2014 and that he also made some mention of abuse while at school. He admitted he changed his story to keep his family together.
“I did at the time for the lack of better words change my story. I just wanted to go home. Even though there were horrible things happening there, they were my family and all I really knew. There was an ironic sense of comfort.”
Adamo also stated he did not fault DCF investigators for the work they did and the findings they came up with finding no abuse.
Adamo said he was saddened to hear that other children have allegedly been abused.
“It is so heart breaking that it didn’t stop with myself and that other children were harmed.”
He urged Okeechobee parents to come forward if they have any suspicions about Adamo and how she treated their children.
“Were trying to bring as much evidence as we can to the table to have this woman convicted, as she deserves, so she can never harm another child again. This case is going to need as much evidence as possible. Please come forward with anything on this matter.”
Okeechobee police investigated the case in February, 2025.
There is also a case from 2023 that the sheriff’s office looked into where a two month old child was placed into intensive care after it tested positive for opioids.
Two people died in separate single vehicle accidents on Sunday.
The Florida Highway Patrol said an 85-year-old Okeechobee man was killed on state road 78 near Tomato Grade Road near Buckhead Ridge around 1:35 pm.
The pickup truck was west bound when it for some reason crossed into the east bound lane, left the road on the south shoulder, and collided with a barbed wire fence and tree.
The victim was not wearing a seat belt.
The second accident occurred in Fort Basinger at the intersection of US 98 and CR 721 at 11 a.m.
The highway patrol report said a pickup truck was traveling north and failed to stop at the intersection, entered the north grass shoulder, became airborne and collided with a tree.
The driver, a 76 year old man from Sebring, died at the scene.
A Lorida man is charged with cutting a chain link fence and padlock to trespass on property and steal a classic Chevrolet Corvette.
Highlands County Sheriff deputies said Billie Spires, 58, called a tow truck to enter the property after he cut the lock and took the vehicle on June 16 on Varner Road.
Charges include grand theft motor vehicle and misdemeanor criminal mischief.
The report listed the victim as Donna Lavonne Smith who was recently freed from the Indian River County jail on charges she killed her boyfriend in Vero Beach.
The circuit judge dismissed 2nd degree murder charges against Smith recently in the shooting death of Jeffrey Simmons, 57 at the American Golf Club.
The judge ruled that Smiths use of force was justified and in self- defense.
He cited the Florida stand your ground law in his decision.
The Indiantown Village Council approved the village budget of just under $8 million. It reduced spending by 5.5 percent and the amount of property taxes collected by 4.3 percent.
The reorganization of the board left Carmine DiPaolo as Mayor and Phyllis Waters Brown as the Vice Mayor.
Sheriff Jon Budensiek introduced a new commander in Indiantown, Lt. Michael McCarthy.
He had previous experience in road patrol, the narcotics unit, the detective bureau, and the rapid response team.
Budensiek said traffic enforcement will continue to be a priority noting several traffic crashes and fatalities recently in the western portion of the county.