What to Know
- Parent who was on the lam after allegedly pepper spraying a camp nurse at Spring Valley High School Monday morning was arrested, cops say
- Michael Smith, 35, was arrested and charged with three counts of assault and criminal possession of a weapon, police say
- The school was under a short lockdown following the incident
The parent who was on the lam after allegedly pepper spraying a nurse overseeing a town day camp at Spring Valley High School Monday morning has been arrested, police say.
Thirty-five-year-old Michael Smith, of New City, was arrested and charged with three counts of assault in the second-degree, and criminal possession of a weapon in the fourth-degree, Spring Valley Police announced Tuesday morning.
Attorney information for Smith was not immediately known.
Smith's arrest and charges stem from an alleged incident that occurred Monday morning at a town summer camp that was being held at the local high school.
Spokesperson for the East Ramapo Central School District, Scott Salotto, told News 4 Monday that the parent confronted the nurse just before 9 a.m. following an earlier phone dispute between the two.
Salotto says the parent signed in at security, was cleared to the nurse’s office and it was there where the parent pepper sprayed her for reasons not immediately known. The parent fled and is still being sought.
Local
The nurse was taken to a local hospital for evaluation and treatment and is now recovering at home.
The children who attend the camp were not hurt in the incident.
Although the incident took place at the local high school, the day camp is organized by the town which rents space from the school district.
The nurse who was attacked is an employee of the Town of Ramapo and not the school district.
According to police, the accused is the parent of a child that attends the summer camp. They say that a total of two day camp workers were sprayed and sought medical attention. They did not elaborate who the workers were.
The school was under a short lockdown following the incident before camp activities resumed.