A former St. Lucie County school bus driver is facing another charge against him after a second student came forward with allegations, according to sheriff’s officials.
Edwin Garcia, 72, of Port St. Lucie, was arrested March 6 and charged with two counts of lewd and lascivious molestation of a person under age 12 by an offender age 18 or older, according to officials.
The initial arrest came after a school resource deputy with the Sheriff’s Office received a report March 4 alleging a school bus driver asked a 9-year-old student to lift her dress while she was riding the bus, according to officials.
During the investigation, officials learned the bus driver may have made inappropriate comments to the child and possibly pinched her over her clothing in the pelvic area.
After the initial arrest, another student came forward with more information for detectives, according to officials. The age and gender of the second student wasn’t available, said sheriff’s Capt. Andrew Bolonka on June 1.
An arrest warrant was issued for Garcia on May 20 on a battery charge, and he was arrested May 28, according to officials. Garcia was released from the St. Lucie County Jail on May 29 with a $5,000 bail, according to the jail’s website.
Garcia had been employed with the school district since January 2015, said Lydia Martin, chief communications officer with St. Lucie Schools. Parents of students assigned to bus routes previously driven by Garcia were notified of his arrest in March.
Anyone with information should contact Detective Corporal Hunter Limb at 772-462-7300 or email crimetips@stluciesheriff.gov.
Laurie K. Blandford is a breaking news reporter with TCPalm. Email her at laurie.blandford@tcpalm.com.
This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Florida school bus driver arrested after second student allegations
Reporting by Laurie K. Blandford, Treasure Coast Newspapers / Treasure Coast Newspapers
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