Latest news with #Swafford
Daily Mail
30-04-2025
- Daily Mail
Boy, 15, accused of horrific crimes against non-verbal 7-year-old on school bus
A 15-year-old Indiana teen has been formally accused of raping a 7-year-old non-verbal second grade student while the two were on the school bus. The family of the Jennings County second grader has since announced plans to sue Jennings County School Corporation claiming their young son was raped repeatedly by an older student while riding on the school bus. The harrowing alleged incident happened on April 16 on a bus designated for students with special needs, the Jennings County Juvenile Probation Department confirmed. 'The victim is a non-verbal special education student who was improperly seated directly next to a much older 15-year-old student and was helplessly left unmonitored by two school employees who were on the bus and charged with caring for his safety,' Laura Swafford, an attorney for the second grade student's family, said. The alleged assaults were recorded by at least one camera inside the school bus, according to court documents. 'Video camera footage later downloaded from inside the bus shows that, on multiple occasions, the victim was sexually assaulted and raped, but neither the Corporation's bus driver nor the extra bus monitor employee did anything to stop the assaults,' Swafford added. Now, the Jennings County School Corporation is undergoing an extensive review of security footage, from the entire school year, to learn whether there have been additional, unreported incidents. The alleged incident happened on April 16 on a bus designated for students with special needs, the Jennings County Juvenile Probation Department confirmed. Pictured: Sand Creek Elementary School, one of six elementary schools within the school corporation Both the victim and the alleged rapist are juveniles and have not been publicly identified. On Tuesday, the 15-year-old alleged rapist appeared at the Jennings County Circuit Court for a hearing that was closed to the public, WTHR13 reported. Days earlier, on April 25, the Jennings County School Corporation released a statement, claiming the school corporation is now 'increasing safety protocols.' North Vernon, where the approximately 3,800 student school corporation is located, is roughly 70 miles southeast of Indianapolis. 'This nightmare tragedy should never have happened,' Swafford said. The Indianapolis-based attorney went on to raise questions as to the awareness of the school's staff and their 'ability to protect their young.' 'How could both the bus driver and the additional bus monitor-aid not notice anything? Like all parents in the community, the boy's family believed the school would protect their young, vulnerable son. The family entrusted the school to protect their son by monitoring activity on the bus. The school system breached this trust and clearly failed in its responsibility,' the lawyer added. Swafford has since filed a tort claim - the legal first step to filing a lawsuit against the North Vernon school corporation. 'The tort claim alleges that the Jennings County School Corporation was grossly negligent, violated the child's civil rights, and caused him permanent injuries and damages,' Swafford said. 'The victim's family is hoping that this claim and its publicity will help prevent such a tragedy from happening to another child while sending a powerful message that all schools should be held accountable for the safety and protection of their students, particularly the most vulnerable disabled children.' On Tuesday, the district Superintendent Nicole Johnson released a statement addressing the alleged incident. 'We are aware of the legal filing connected to very concerning incidents that allegedly occurred on one of our special transportation buses, and we will respond to this filing through the appropriate legal channels. We cannot go into any detail about this situation because we are cooperating with an active police investigation and additionally are involved in this litigation. I want to emphasize, though, that these reports involving students' safety have been heartbreaking and devastating to all of us. Nothing is more important than the safety of our students. While this incident must still be investigated and resolved through our criminal justice system, we are taking steps to try to better ensure the safety of our students,' Johnson's statement concluded. The North Vernon Police Department confirmed that the 15-year-old suspect is being held in a juvenile detention center. He has reportedly been charged with one count of rape.
Yahoo
09-04-2025
- Yahoo
Celebrity chef, others at Oakland Hills food event, invest in private security
OAKLAND, Calif. - Sunshine, live music, and an array of food and beverage tastings brought people out Tuesday evening for the Taste of Montclair Village. The event was a way to support local businesses in this small community in Oakland. It also was part of a larger strategy for supporting small business owners and raise funds. At Kakui Sushi restaurant, Chef Ole Souvannavong was preparing some of the featured sushi and appetizers they'll be serving up, including their signature brussel sprouts. "It makes everybody come together. That's what we love about it. Something like this happens and everybody shows up," Souvannavong said. Blocks away, at Daughter's Thai Kitchen, we met Celebrity chef Kasem Saengsawang, who is the newly crowned champion of the Food Network's Chopped Thai Takedown. He showed us his vegan egg rolls, rice salad and tom yum soup for the event. The chef has two Oakland restaurants and says for small businesses, it is a battle to survive amidst the waves of crime. "We call the local officer to make sure that we expect our clients are going to be on the weekend, so they can stop by and check frequently," Saengsawang said. The Montclair Village Association is doing what it can by having security cameras on every block, and private security guards who patrol the area. On April 2nd, there was a shooting in Montclair. The Montclair Village Association Executive Director Daniel Swafford says the camera system worked, and recorded the suspect's vehicle and license plate. "They found the vehicle and ID within 90 minutes," Swafford said. Police arrested a juvenile suspect. Merchants were glad to see their camera system is working. But the police need to be able to respond. "They have to be able to take those flags or hits when a vehicle does pop up and pursue and detain. And sometimes that's where the gap is occurring," Swafford said. The cameras have caught other vehicles linked to smash-and-grab thieves. Swafford showed another example that he said had been reported to the police. Citizen vigilance is key, to stopping rings of robbers, Swafford said. Another important factor is that citizens need to file reports. In order for police and the district attorney to have a case. "The victim has to be proactive in calling the police to make sure that a crime is reported, whether it is to an officer or online, so there's something we can associate these images with," Swafford said. "It greatly impacts us," said Eagle Harper, General Manager of Farmstead Cheese and Wines. Harper says he hopes the city and community will work together more. "Coming together as a united front helps establish that we are looking out for each other," Harper said. The Montclair Village Association has two more events planned. First a Pinic in the Plaza event on April 26 and then an Art Walk on May 4. Along with the food and music, you can bet that the security cameras will be rolling.
Yahoo
08-04-2025
- Yahoo
Taste of Montclair to go forward, days after neighborhood shooting
OAKLAND, Calif. (KRON) — Less than a week after a man was shot during an armed robbery in the Oakland Hills, the neighborhood's annual 'Taste of Montclair Village' event is set to go on this week as planned. Event organizers hope that a quick arrest in the case will help ease safety concerns. Small bites and cocktails like farmstead cheeses and wines from local providers are expected to attract hundreds of visitors to Montclair Village in Oakland Tuesday. 'We're halfway up the hill — we're not in the main drag. And, these kinds of events help people come up,' said Dave Chambers, who owns Farmstead, one of more than two dozen local businesses taking part. San Francisco announces five finalist names for new Great Highway park Taste of Montclair Village is an annual event that allows patrons who purchase a taste passport to sample food and drinks in the neighborhood. The proceeds help fund the Montclair Village Association's initiatives. The security plan for the event includes, 'safety ambassadors, private security and camera systems that assist with keeping the neighborhood safe,' said Daniel Swafford, executive director of the Montclair Village Association. Swafford said footage from surveillance cameras set up in the area paid for by past events helped track down the teenage suspect accused of shooting a man last Wednesday during an armed robbery nearby on Cortereal Avenue. The suspect was arrested the same day and Oakland police recovered guns from the boy. The wounded victim was hospitalized. 'So, it's an example of really how our proceeds from our fundraising events through the Montclair Cares Club can really affect positive change and try to hold people accountable if they're up to no good in our city,' Swafford said. People who work in the area just advise to pack lightly. 'I just keep a little bit of money in my pocket — not much,' advised Mahi, a local clerk who works in the area said. Taste of Montclair Village gets underway Tuesday at 4 p.m. and runs through 8 p.m. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
