Esdra Burges-Cruz: Video footage shows Florida parent shoving school employee over his son's bus-ban
OCALA, FLORIDA: A shocking incident unfolded on a school bus as an irate Florida father allegedly assaulted a staff member, according to police. The unsettling incident was captured on video by a middle school student who witnessed the altercation. Florida authorities reported that the incident occurred after 50-year-old Esdra Burges-Cruz became furious over his son's temporary ban from riding the bus.
The video footage of the incident, which took place on May 2, is now being used as evidence in the case against Burges-Cruz. The student who recorded the incident handed the clip to a deputy on the school campus the following day leading to the Ocala father's arrest.
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'Esdra Burges-Cruz arrested for assaulting school staffer over son's bus ban'
Marion County police stated that the video shows Burges-Cruz threatening the unidentified victim, who had previously issued school referrals that temporarily banned the man's son and another student from riding the bus due to behavioral issues. After reviewing the video, authorities located Burges-Cruz at his home in Ocala, a few miles away from Lake Weir Middle School in Summerfield, and arrested him on charges of battery based on probable cause.
In the video clip, the enraged father can be heard repeatedly saying, "This is going to be the last time! [The] last time!" before seemingly striking the unidentified staff member in the chest. However, Burges-Cruz claimed in an interview with WESH 2 that he did not physically harm the employee but instead snatched a piece of paper from him, showing his son's bus privileges had been suspended. The reason for the suspension remains unclear. As per the police report, prior to the incident, Burges-Cruz had reportedly made threats to the school staffer, warning him "that if anything else happened to his son," the victim "would see what's going to happen."
'Esdra Burges-Cruz outburst caught on video'
Although the bus driver did not witness the alleged assault, the victim's statement was corroborated during an interview with the deputy. Later that day, deputies visited Burges-Cruz's home, where he "denied touching the victim." While the details are not entirely clear from the video, authorities noted that Burges-Cruz immediately confronted the school aide upon boarding the bus, using profanity and escalating the situation.
"Shut the [f**k] up!" the father reportedly said to the staffer as he got on, appearing increasingly confrontational. According to police, Burges-Cruz's son and the other student had been riding the bus earlier that day, leading to their suspension. Authorities believe that the father became upset upon learning about his son's suspension, and they consider the video evidence as proof of his actions.
Burges-Cruz, who is currently out on a $17,500 bond, faces felony charges, including battery on an education employee, burglary, and disturbing the peace. Police mentioned in their report that the video showed Burges-Cruz taking an aggressive stance, standing within a foot of the victim while pointing his finger and grabbing the lanyard around the victim's neck.