ESCONDIDO, Calif. (KGTV) – Escondido Police said a teenage girl was arrested on an assault charge and two other teens are facing charges related to an altercation with a bus driver in late August that was captured on video.
According to police, on Aug. 29, at around 4:20 p.m., a group of teens caused a disturbance on a North County Transit District bus after they were picked up from a stop near San Pasqual High School.
Video from the NCTD showed the driver blocking the bus exit to stop two 14-year-olds from getting off the bus, but then one of the girls pushes him into the doors. A fight then broke out between the driver and one of the teens, with the video later showing the altercation spilling into the street. One of the teens is seen on the video dropping the 64-year-old male driver onto the ground near the sidewalk while another teen starts to kick him.
Escondido Police confirmed one teen was arrested on a charge of assault likely to produce great bodily injury and was taken into custody. Police said two other teens face conspiracy charges and were released to their parents “pending the court’s recommendations.”
RELATED: WATCH: Videos show fight between San Pasqual HS students and bus driver
The three 14-year-olds linked to the incident are San Pasqual High School students.
ABC 10News spoke to the mother of the teen in the white pants seen on the video, and she said her 14-year-old daughter is the one facing the assault charge.
While she didn’t want to be named, the mother told ABC 10News that she wants equal justice all the way around in the situation, including justice towards the teen who dropped the bus driver to the ground.
She also said she wants the bus driver to be held accountable for his role in the altercation, but Escondido Police said he’s not facing charges at this time.
(NOTE: NCTD blurred the faces of the minors before sharing the videos with ABC 10News. The clips don’t have sound. Aside from blurring the driver’s face, 10News has not edited the videos NCTD provided further.)
In a statement to ABC 10News, the superintendent of Escondido Union High School District said, “We continue to evaluate the incident and will assign the appropriate disciplinary actions. We understand the public interest in this matter. While we recognize the importance of keeping our community members informed, it is also crucial to respect the privacy and confidentiality of the students involved. As such, we regretfully inform you that we are unable to share the specific details regarding any consequences resulting from this incident. The safety of our students and community members remains our top priority.”
Escondido Police said the case has been handed over to the juvenile court.
ABC 10News called and emailed the North County Transit District to see if the bus driver was willing talk about what happened, but they did not respond as of the publication of this story.
