In a recent event that has elicited concern within the Port St. Lucie community, a school bus aide is facing allegations of child abuse. Avieser Pinillos, 43, of Port St. Lucie, has been charged with cruelty towards a child without great bodily harm, as reported by TCPalm. The incident, which took place on March 13, involved a 9-year-old special-needs girl and was caught on the bus's surveillance camera, authorities say.
Late last Thursday, recording the event, the girl's older sister captured footage of Pinillos allegedly being physically aggressive with the girl while the bus was stopped after 4:30 p.m. in a northeast Port St. Lucie neighborhood. The Port St. Lucie Police Department reviewed the footage, which according to TCPalm showed "visible redness" on the girl’s neck and right arm due to the interaction.
After the investigation, Pinillos was arrested on March 20 and subsequently released from St. Lucie County Jail on a $5,000 bond. It still remains unclear whether Pinillos has legal representation, as court records have yet to indicate the presence of an attorney. "I think it would make any parent feel angry," Police Chief Leo Niemczyk conveyed in an interview with WPBF, expressing the emotional reaction a case like this could induce among parents.
Further insights revealed by Chief Leo Niemczyk suggest that this was not an isolated interaction between Pinillos and the girl, as a witness attested to previous altercations, albeit less severe. "I describe it as aggressive. I think you could describe it as violent. He clearly lost his temper, and it's completely unacceptable," Niemczyk told WPBF. Subsequently, the St. Lucie County School District has removed Pinillos from his role and has recommended his termination.
