MESA, AZ – A local mother is facing charges of aggravated assault following an incident where she allegedly attacked a school bus driver. Hermenegilda Marquez, 27, was arrested on April 17 under a single count of felony aggravated assault on a school employee, according to the Mesa Police Department.
The incident occurred on April 11, around 2 p.m. on W. McKellips Road. The police responded to reports of an assault on a Mesa Public Schools bus driver. Upon arrival, officers found the victim with minor injuries.
Police released a video showing Marquez entering the bus and yelling at the driver. She is then seen turning her head towards the back of the bus and calling for her child. Marquez then refocuses her attention on the driver, continuing her verbal assault.
According to the driver, she had never had any previous interactions with Marquez. She asked Marquez to leave the bus and reached for the bus radio. At this point, Marquez allegedly swung at the driver, grabbed the radio cord, and yanked it, challenging the driver to “do something now” and to leave the bus.
Several parents were present at the bus stop when Marquez boarded the bus. Some voiced complaints about the bus not stopping at the correct location. Marquez, however, had a different issue. She accused the driver of speaking ill of her daughter before allegedly hitting her multiple times.
A man, identified as Marquez’s boyfriend by police, intervened and removed Marquez from the bus. As she was being taken off the bus, she grabbed the driver’s hair with both hands, nearly pulling the driver out of her seat. At the time of the incident, there were still 11 children on the bus.
Marquez left the scene but was later identified and questioned by police. She invoked her right to an attorney when her Miranda Rights were read. Upon viewing the video, police informed Marquez that she would be charged with a felony for the assault seen in the recording. According to the police, Marquez showed no emotion upon hearing the charges.