A 55-year-old bus driver has been arrested after he slapped an 11-year-old boy with special needs several times, leaving him with red handprints on his face and back, police say.
Officers arrested Lucien Magloire, of Elmont, Long Island, Tuesday morning, authorities said. He faces a host of charges including assault and acting in a manner injurious to a child.
Magloire allegedly attempted to restrain the boy after he grew agitated on the morning bus ride to his Upper East Side school and began to act out, police said. In his attempts to restrain the child, he injured him.
Maria Rodriguez Soto told NBC New York she received a call from a security guard who said her son had a mark on his face that looked like someone had hit him just before 8 a.m. Tuesday. When she asked her son if he had any bruises or marks on his body, he lifted his shirt to reveal a red handprint on his back, where the bus driver hit him four times.
She took her son to Beth Israel Hospital, where he was treated for a bruise on his back and head pains. Rodriguez says she's filed a police report.
The concerned mom says she's tried to transfer her son to a different bus after learning several people have complained in the past about Magloire, who works for Brooklyn-based Reliant Transportation. The school hasn't responded to her requests for transfer.
Magloire and the bus matron are being questioned in connection with the assault.
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"The safety of students and staff is our top priority," the city Department of Education said in a statement Wednesday. "The NYPD swiftly responded and addressed this troubling incident. The vendor and school were notified and we're ensuring appropriate follow-up action is taken."
