A man from New Jersey, Hernando Garcia-Morales, faces charges after allegedly throwing a rock at a school bus, injuring a young girl. Federal authorities have revealed that he is in the country illegally.
The incident took place on January 7 on the northbound New Jersey Turnpike. A group of third graders from Yeshivat Noam Jewish Nursery School were returning from a field trip to Liberty Science Center when a big rock smashed through their bus window. An 8-year-old girl was struck and sustained a skull fracture, requiring surgery.
Garcia-Morales, 40, from Palisades Park, was apprehended by New Jersey Turnpike State Police on January 9. He is charged with aggravated assault, resisting arrest, and possession of a weapon. Additionally, Bogota police charged him with criminal trespassing and mischief.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) reported that Garcia-Morales was detained by U.S. Customs and Immigration Enforcement (ICE) due to his status as an undocumented immigrant from Mexico. They noted he has a history of violent behavior yet was not deported, allegedly due to New Jersey’s sanctuary immigration policies.
DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin condemned the act, describing targeting school buses as “extremely evil and heinous.” She expressed disbelief that someone with Garcia-Morales’s background was allowed to remain in the country after multiple arrests.
ICE has filed an arrest warrant, urging New Jersey politicians to help keep him off the streets. While it’s uncertain when he entered the U.S. illegally, it’s reported that he has a lengthy criminal record dating back 20 years.
Notably, he was arrested in 2006 for weapons possession and theft, and in 2023 for breaking into a building in Hackensack. Although those charges were not pursued, he was arrested the following day for providing false information and attempted robbery.
Hackensack City Court recently reduced Garcia-Morales’s charges, resulting in a 30-day jail sentence and a fine for disorderly conduct. Authorities disclosed that he admitted to not only the incident on the Turnpike but also to several other rock-throwing incidents in the vicinity.
A Superior Court judge has ordered him to remain in the Bergen County Jail until the case is resolved. This incident highlights ongoing concerns regarding local authorities obstructing federal immigration efforts due to sanctuary city policies.
