As many parents dream of doing, an Indianapolis mother caught up with a middle school student who was allegedly bullying her 13-year-old son. But what happened next might send her to jail for some time.
It all went down on the morning of March 6, when Latea Hentz — alongside her 17-year-old daughter — allegedly walked on her son’s school bus to confront an 8th-grade student who was allegedly bullying him. Another family member, who also boarded the school bus when it stopped near East 35th Street and North Richardt Avenue in Indianapolis, recorded the fight, per police.
The video, which has since gone viral, appeared to show Hentz and her teenage daughter punching the student multiple times.
According to Fox 59, Hentz was heard on video threatening the children on the bus, allegedly saying how she was “going to tear this up” and how she’s “tired of you b***h a*s kids.” She allegedly also asked if “Anybody want to get active?”
The student’s injuries included a swollen left eye, a cut on his face, bruises, injuries to his eye and a fractured nose, according to police.
Local station WOIO-19 reported how the incident came about after Hentz’s son reportedly made “jokes about ICE” to the student because his father is Mexican. According to an affidavit, Hentz’s son made “racist comments” prompting the other student to slap him in response — something the alleged battered boy denied, per WTHR-13.
Hentz, 36, was charged with three felonies: criminal confinement, battery resulting in moderate injury, intimidation, and criminal trespass.
“Parents have the responsibility to protect our children, not harm them,” Marion County Prosecutor Ryan Mears said in a news release. “We must ensure a safe and respectful environment for our students.”
Hentz’s 17-year-old daughter and 13-year-old son could also face criminal charges of their own in relation to their suspected role in the alleged battery, according to the Marion County Prosecutor’s Office.