GENOA, Ill. (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- A school bus aide is free on bond after being charged with severely injuring a 14-year-old autistic boy.
According to the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office, on June 28 the 14-year-old autistic boy was onboard a bus home to Montgomery from Camelot Northwest Center for Autism in Genoa. He was on the bus with two other autistic boys.
The 14-year-old boy was in the rear back seat of the six-passenger seat school bus, sitting in the seat with a five-point chest harness and wearing a seat belt, according to DeKalb County court records.
According to interior bus video obtained by police and prosecutors, at one point during the bus ride home, the boy took off his shoe and threw it at the bus driver and hit the driver.
According to DeKalb County court records, Matthew R. Enck, 32, of North Aurora, was the bus monitor on the bus that day. The bus was driven by his mother, Terri Wenzloff.
After the boy threw his shoe, Enck is seen on video immediately getting up out of his own seat and going over to the boy, squishing him with his body. Court records state Enck went on to press his body into the boy's for several minutes, and even placed his feet against the seat opposite the teen for what appeared to be additional leverage to brace himself, according to the Daily Chronicle.
According to court records, Enck remained pressed up against the boy for approximately eight minutes. The boy then became unconscious.
The boy was left unconscious for the duration of the bus drive, more than 30 minutes, according to the Daily Chronicle. It wasn’t until the bus arrived in Montgomery, where the boy lived, and his parents stepped onto the bus to attempt to awaken him, that paramedics were called to resuscitate him.
Doctors told investigators the boy had suffered an "anoxic brain injury."
Matthew R. Enck, 32, of North Aurora, is charged with four felony counts of aggravated battery: causing great bodily harm through strangulation (class 1 felony), strangulation (class 3 felony), causing great bodily harm to a child with profound intellectual disabilities (class 3 felony) and causing bodily harm in a public way (class 3 felony).
He was released Thursday after posting bond, which was set at $25,000.
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