8-year-old NJ girl undergoes emergency surgery for fractured skull after rock thrown through bus window, suspect arrested

An eight-year-old girl was severely injured on Wednesday after a rock was thrown through the window of the school bus she was riding on in New Jersey. A suspect, 40-year-old Hernando Garciamorales, has been arrested and charged in connection with the incident. 

The young girl had her skull fractured and is in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit after needing emergency surgery. Teaneck Mayor Mark J. Schwartz told the New York Post that "The girl will be OK. She did have surgery Thursday for a fractured skull, and she is recovering."

New Jersey State Police said that Garciamorales has been charged with aggravated assault, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, endangering the welfare of a child, criminal mischief, resisting arrest by flight, and hindering. He is in Bergen County Jail. Police said that Garciamorales is also linked to multiple other rock-throwing incidents in Bogota Borough, Bergen County. 

Following an investigation led by the State Police Hardening Unit UAS Response Squad and other departments, Garciamorales was located at a self-made campsite in Bergen County’s Old Croaker County Park.

The bus had been traveling back to Paramus’ Yeshivat Noam Jewish day school after a class trip took place to the Liberty Science Center when a large rock crashed through the bus window, striking the young girl in the head. The mayor said that the bus had no religious signage on the outside, and that there is currently no indication that the incident was a hate crime. 

In the wake of the incident, Teaneck Council Member Elie Katz and Schwartz said that they were offering, from their own pockets, a $5,000 reward for footage and information that led to the arrest of the person responsible. "Thousands of cars and trucks travel this highway every day - to NY or getting off in Leonia or Teaneck. Your dash cam or car cameras might have valuable information."