A Department of Public Works school bus driver has been charged with second-degree criminal sexual conduct after allegedly inappropriately touching a 10-year-old girl during her bus ride home from school on Oct. 1.
The complaint was filed against Patrick Christopher Cruz, a DPW school bus driver. According to DPW Deputy Director Linda Ibanez, Cruz was still employed by the department as of 6 p.m. Wednesday and had been placed on administrative leave at 11 a.m. that day.
Responses from Ibanez to additional questions from Guam News Network were not immediately available. Those questions included how long Cruz had worked as a DPW school bus driver, whether an internal investigation had been launched, and whether parents and guardians of students on his bus routes had been notified of the allegations.
"I'll need to confirm dates and chronology of events and communications between GDOE, DPW and GPD," Ibanez said.
The allegations stem from a walk-in complaint filed with the Guam Police Department on Oct. 2. The girl's mother brought her to the police department, where the 10-year-old reported that Cruz had inappropriately touched her.
"Cruz asked the victim to record kids that were misbehaving on his cell phone. The victim initially refused, but Cruz insisted that she do it. The Victim complied and when giving Cruz back his cell phone the victim stated Cruz, 'touched her inappropriate part,'" the complaint states. It further notes that the girl gestured toward her left breast.
The girl also alleged that Cruz spoke inappropriately, asked her whether she used drugs or cigarettes, and made sexual comments.
The minor first reported the incident to her school principal and counselor during recess the day after the alleged incident. Her parents were subsequently notified.
Three days later, police conducting a follow-up investigation met with the school principal, who confirmed receiving the report from the child.
"The principal identified Cruz as the bus driver in question," the complaint states.
On Oct. 8, police met with Cruz, who confirmed he was the driver assigned to the girl's bus route but denied making sexually inappropriate comments to female students. According to the complaint, police did not arrest him during that encounter.
Cruz was arrested Nov. 9 after police received student incident reports prepared by the school principal on Oct. 13.
"Officers later reviewed the reports, which showed that several students saw Cruz touch the victim's breast, the victim used Cruz' phone to record students and heard Cruz make inappropriate remarks to the victim," the complaint states.
Cruz was charged with second-degree criminal sexual conduct, a first-degree felony. He was released on a $7,000 personal recognizance bond.