Children are some of the most vulnerable people in society, and so when an adult allegedly turned violent against a nine-year-old girl in Florida, you better believe consequences would quickly follow. Aviesar Pinillos, a bus aide in Port St. Lucie, allegedly told the girl riding the school bus to sit down. But after she ignored his warning, things took a shocking turn.
Much of the unidentified girl’s interaction with Pinillos was caught on camera. In fact, it was the girl’s older sister who pulled out her phone just in time to catch Pinillos doing the unthinkable on March 13, according to WPBF.
In the footage, the young girl— who reportedly has special needs— is seen kneeling on a seat on the bus. She along with other students riding, including her sister, were all playing when Pinillos stormed to the back, where at least three girls were seated. Then, he can be seen lifting a nine-year-old girl up, turning her around and physically forcing her down into the seat. The girl was screaming and saying “don’t touch me” the entire time.
To make matters even worse, Pinillos then allegedly shook her and started screaming at her. Chief Leo Niemczyk of the Port St. Lucie Police Department said the girl only suffered “red marks” on her neck and shoulders. In addition to the camera footage, the bus had a security camera, which captured another angle of the alleged crime.
Niemczyk told WPBF, “Probably any reasonable adult would feel angry seeing one of our most vulnerable members of a society victimized in that way.”
Witnesses said Pinillos did give the victim a verbal warning before the violent incident took place, according to court documents. The same witness also noted it wasn’t the first incident between Pinillos and the girl, but this was in fact the worst.
“I can’t explain why people do the things that they do. You know, I don’t know what was going on in his mind. I suppose that it’s probably a challenging day for him. And he reacted poorly,” Chief Niemczyk. “I describe it as aggressive. I think you could describe it as violent. He clearly lost his temper, and it’s completely unacceptable.”
Pinillos has since been arrested and charged with one count of child abuse, according to WSVN. He later posted bond. According to the St. Lucie County School District, he was also removed from his role as a bus aide.