A Brentwood home health aide has been indicted on felony and misdemeanor charges for allegedly abusing a five-year-old child with disabilities while in his care at a Port Jefferson Station residence, according to the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office.
District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney announced that Bruno Valenzuela, 34, was indicted for Endangering the Welfare of an Incompetent or Physically Disabled Person in the First Degree and Endangering the Welfare of a Child. Prosecutors allege Valenzuela repeatedly and forcefully slapped the child while working as an in-home health aide.
According to investigators, Valenzuela was responsible for the care of a non-verbal, non-ambulatory child diagnosed with cerebral palsy and developmental delays. On December 22, 2025, the child’s father noticed red marks and bruising on the child’s chest and arms after returning home from work.
The family reviewed in-home camera footage and allegedly observed an incident from December 20, 2025, in which Valenzuela slapped the child in the chest multiple times while changing his diaper as the child cried. Prosecutors allege Valenzuela used excessive force, shook the child, and tossed him into the air while telling him to calm down.
Valenzuela was arraigned on February 5, 2026, before Acting Supreme Court Justice Steven Pilewski. Due to New York State bail laws, Valenzuela was released under supervised conditions with GPS monitoring. He is scheduled to return to court on March 5, 2026, and is being represented by counsel.
The case is being prosecuted by the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Child Abuse and Domestic Violence Bureau with assistance from the Suffolk County Police Department’s Special Victims Section.
Criminal complaints and indictments are accusatory instruments. Defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Photo: SCPD.
