Welcome to Arrest Stories. A forty-year-old man has been arrested in Bergen County, New Jersey after allegedly throwing a baseball-sized rock at a school bus, fracturing an eight-year-old girl's skull. Here's what may have happened.
On January seventh, just after two p.m., a school bus carrying third-grade students from Yeshivat Noam Jewish school was traveling in the northbound lanes of the New Jersey Turnpike in Teaneck Township, just before the Teaneck Road exit. According to police reports, Hernando Garcia-Morales threw a baseball-sized rock at the moving school bus.
The rock shattered the bus window and struck an eight-year-old girl in the head, causing a fractured skull. The child was immediately transported to Hackensack University Medical Center where she underwent emergency surgery on Thursday. She remains in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit but is expected to recover.
Officials stated, "The girl will be OK. She did have surgery Thursday for a fractured skull, and she is recovering."
Police launched an investigation and located Garcia-Morales at what they described as a self-made campsite inside Old Croaker County Park in Bergen County, where he was arrested days after the incident.
Garcia-Morales has been charged with aggravated assault, criminal mischief, and endangering the welfare of a child. He is being held and is ineligible for release under New Jersey's bail reform law.
The school has deployed mental health and guidance teams to support students and families affected by the incident. School officials emphasized their commitment to student safety, stating, "The safety and well-being of our students is our highest priority. Our focus remains on supporting the injured student and her family, as well as ensuring the emotional health of our entire student body."
Authorities condemned the act, with one official stating, "Throwing stones at vehicles is not harmless mischief. It is a violent act that can maim or kill. When an object is hurled at a bus full of children, the intent is to cause fear and injury."
All suspects presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Do not take this report as factual, always verify facts. Thanks for watching Arrest Stories.