TRIGGER WARNING: This article contains references to assault.
According to the Mesa Police Department, a 27-year-old woman was taken into custody on Wednesday, April 17, following allegations that she had attacked a school bus driver. Around 2:15 p.m. on Thursday, April 11, Hermenegilda Marquez allegedly attacked the 64-year-old bus driver who was dropping off kids near McKellips Road and Country Club Drive in Mesa, Arizona.
Investigators arrest Hermenegilda Marquez for her alleged role in the assault
On April 17, six days later, Marquez was taken into custody. She was arrested and charged with one count of assaulting a school employee with serious intent. According to the MPD press release, "Marquez invoked her right to legal counsel and declined to be interviewed by investigators."
According to the MPD news release, authorities responded to complaints of a "possible assault on a Mesa Public Schools bus driver." The unidentified driver was found by the police, who reported minor injuries. Eleven children saw the attack, even though it happened after the victim dropped off the children at the bus stop.
According to PEOPLE, after supposedly getting on the bus, Marquez allegedly threatened the driver, accusing her of "talking s--- to [her] daughter." After leaving the bus for a little while, Marquez returned and gave the victim a push, a slap, and a punch. The victim stated that she didn't know the child or the mother.
The victim subsequently stated "that she was struck in the head and her hair was pulled" and that "after the assault, her pacemaker began to shock her."
Then, Marquez's boyfriend boarded the bus and tried to take his girlfriend away. However, Marquez nearly pulled the victim from the driver's seat as she reached out and snatched her hair while the victim was being removed from the vehicle. The driver then used the bus radio to request help. Marquez drove away from the scene before the police arrived. The incident is currently being looked into by the Mesa Police Department.
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