A New Jersey man has been apprehended in connection with a series of rock-throwing incidents that left a young girl seriously injured while she was on a school bus, authorities reported.
Hernando Garciamorales, aged 40, from Palisades Park, was taken into custody on Saturday. His arrest is linked to an incident on January 7 involving a motor vehicle on the northbound New Jersey Turnpike, as confirmed by the New Jersey State Police.
The young girl sustained a skull fracture as a result of the incident.
The New Jersey State Police revealed that the girl was struck by a rock thrown through the window of her school bus while she and her classmates were returning from a field trip.
Teaneck Mayor Mark J. Schwartz reassured The New York Post that “The girl will be OK.” He added that she underwent surgery on Thursday to address her skull fracture and is now in recovery.
Garciamorales was located and arrested at a campsite in Old Croaker County Park in Bergen County. He is currently held at the Bergen County Jail awaiting a court appearance.
He is charged with aggravated assault, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, endangering the welfare of a child, criminal mischief, resisting arrest by flight, and hindering.
An image of a school bus that was hit by a rock as it was returning a group of kids from a field trip in New Jersey. (New Jersey State Police)
The third-grade children were traveling back to Yeshivat Noam Jewish day school in Paramus after a class trip to the Liberty Science Center when a large rock smashed through the bus window, the school told Fox News Digital.
Authorities informed the school that Garciamorales confessed to that specific incident, as well as several additional rock-throwing incidents in the area, the school said. Law enforcement has stated there is no evidence that the incident was bias-related.
“We are deeply grateful for the swift, coordinated response and outstanding communication among all law enforcement agencies, elected officials, and community organizations involved,” said Rabbi Chaim Hagler, Head of School at Yeshivat Noam. “Their collaboration underscores the importance of strong partnerships between schools, community leaders, and public safety officials. Our primary focus remains the safety of our children, and we are heartened to see justice being served so efficiently.”
A New Jersey State Police vehicle. (Angus Mordant/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Fox News Digital has reached out to the state police.
