Felony Counts for Action Behavior Centers Tech Accused of Assaulting Two Children

QUEEN CREEK, ARIZONA – Khamara Holmes, a former Action Behavior Centers (ABC) technician, faces two felony counts of aggravated assault involving children at a Queen Creek clinic. Police said the alleged offenses occurred on Feb. 27, 2026, and identified her as 19 in August, when they said she had worked as a registered behavior technician.

Brandy Haines told AZFamily that her 5-year-old son is autistic and nonverbal and could not tell her what had happened. She said she dropped him off at the center in February and received a call hours later saying he had been assaulted. “My heart fell in my stomach. Because who’s going to do that to a kid?” she said.

AZFamily, citing a police report, said Holmes tried to throw a yoga ball at the boy’s head before lifting him by the wrists and throwing him to the ground. The Arizona Republic later reported a different alleged sequence: she pushed him down, then threw the ball. Both outlets reported allegations that she grabbed a second child by the wrists and tossed the child into a bathroom. AZFamily said the child was screaming and crying. Witnesses reported that Holmes yelled “shut up” and later said she “had been hurting kids all day,” according to court documents cited by AZFamily.

Holmes’s attorney, Omer Gurion, told The Arizona Republic that she “categorically denies” the allegations. ABC chief marketing officer Matt Stringer said the company immediately reported the conduct to Arizona’s Department of Child Safety and conducted an internal investigation. He said Holmes no longer worked for ABC. The newspaper published those responses Aug. 28.

The Austin-based ABA provider has been backed by private equity firm Charlesbank Capital Partners since 2022. ABC’s website says it has more than 400 locations in nine states, including Arizona.

Queen Creek police received the report on Feb. 27 and referred the case to the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office, according to 12News. The court docket records a direct complaint and summons filed July 13, and an initial appearance Aug. 12. Each aggravated assault count alleges an adult assaulted a child younger than 15 and is classified as a class 6 felony.

[ IMAGE ]Search: “Maricopa County Superior Court Central Court Building Phoenix exterior”

The case against Holmes is filed in Maricopa County Superior Court as CR2026-126998.

In a separate Arizona case in June, Peoria police arrested Adolfo Salas, then 42, a former Soar Autism Center technician, on felony child abuse and aggravated assault charges. Court documents reported by AZFamily alleged that he kicked a nonverbal, autistic 5-year-old boy in the face during a one-on-one session. Staff gave police surveillance video; the documents said Salas told a coworker he meant to kick a chair out of the way and struck the child accidentally. Soar told families it had fired Salas and notified police, according to AZFamily. Its message said it has “zero tolerance for this and any behavior that compromises the safety or well-being of the children entrusted to our care.”

As of Sept. 24, the Holmes docket lists an Aug. 31 continuance, an Oct. 12 status conference, and an Oct. 14 preliminary hearing. A preliminary hearing determines whether probable cause exists for the case to proceed; it does not determine guilt.

AT A GLANCE

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