Crime & Safety

Bus Driver from Stamford Arrested for 'Verbally Demeaning' Wilton Student

The conduct had been 'on-going for several months' according to the Wilton police.

A First Student bus driver from Stamford was arrested on disorderly conduct and risk of injury to a minor for “verbally demeaning” an eight-year-old Wilton student, according to a statement released by Lt. Donald Wakeman of the Wilton Police Department.

On May 11, Wilton School Resource Officer Richard Ross received a complaint from a parent that their child’s bus driver, Pedro Garcia-Saravia, 43, of 36 Hundley Court, had been verbally harassing their child. 

After an investigation, it was allegedly found that not only had Garcia-Saravia been verbally harassing the child, but had encouraged other student passengers to “recite the demeaning language,” according to the report.

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The investigation involved audio and video evidence from monitoring equipment installed inside the school bus.

Furthermore, the investigation found that the harassment had been “on-going by the bus driver for several months and had caused the child to become reluctant and emotional concerning the bus rides,” according to Lt. Wakeman’s report.

Find out what's happening in Stamfordwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Lt. Wakeman told Patch that they were not releasing the details of the offending language, and that the student was not in a special needs program.

Garcia-Saravia was released after he posted a $5,000 bond. He is scheduled to appear in Norwalk Superior Court on June 16.


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