A child’s routine field trip turned into a display of preventable violence when an eight-year-old girl suffered a fractured skull after a man hurled a baseball-sized rock through her school bus window. The suspect, Hernando Garcia-Morales, is an illegal immigrant with a two-decade-long criminal record who federal officials say remained free in the U.S. due to New Jersey’s sanctuary state policies. The incident has ignited a firestorm over immigration enforcement failures and the safety of American children.
Story Snapshot
- An eight-year-old suffered a skull fracture requiring surgery after a rock shattered the school bus window on the New Jersey Turnpike during the return from a field trip
- Suspect Hernando Garcia-Morales, 40, arrested with an ICE detainer issued after DHS revealed he’s an illegal immigrant from Mexico with arrests dating to 2006
- Federal officials blame New Jersey’s sanctuary policies for preventing deportation despite multiple prior arrests, including weapons possession, burglary, and criminal trespass
- Authorities linked Garcia-Morales to multiple similar rock-throwing incidents along major interstate corridors, raising questions about preventable public safety failures
Criminal History Ignored by Sanctuary Policies
Hernando Garcia-Morales accumulated a stunning criminal record spanning twenty years before allegedly attacking the school bus carrying third-graders from Yeshivat Noam Jewish day school in Paramus. Department of Homeland Security records show arrests beginning in 2006 for weapon possession and theft. In 2023, Hackensack police arrested him for burglary, then again the following day for attempted burglary and providing false information. Rather than face serious consequences, the Hackensack Municipal Court downgraded his charges in September 2023, resulting in merely thirty days in jail and a $905 fine for disorderly conduct. This pattern of leniency exemplifies how sanctuary policies undermine public safety by shielding criminal aliens from federal immigration enforcement.
Vicious Attack Leaves Child Hospitalized
On January 7, 2026, around 2:00 PM, Garcia-Morales allegedly threw a baseball-sized rock at a northbound school bus traveling on the New Jersey Turnpike near Exit 70A/B in Teaneck Township. The projectile shattered a window and struck an 8-year-old third-grader directly in the head, causing a fractured skull. The young victim required emergency surgery and hospitalization as frightened classmates witnessed the violent attack. Parents reported that children became terrified to ride school buses following the incident. The bus was returning from an educational field trip to the Liberty Science Center in Jersey City, transforming what should have been an enriching learning experience into a traumatic encounter with preventable violence enabled by failed immigration policies.
Multiple Charges and Pattern of Dangerous Behavior
New Jersey State Police arrested Garcia-Morales on January 9, 2026, charging him with aggravated assault, possession of a weapon for unlawful purpose, endangering the welfare of a child, criminal mischief, resisting arrest by flight, and hindering. Bogota Police Department filed additional charges including aggravated assault, criminal trespassing, and property damage. Investigators determined Garcia-Morales was responsible for multiple rock-throwing incidents in Bogota Borough and along the New Jersey Turnpike, establishing a dangerous pattern that authorities failed to stop despite his documented criminal history. A superior court judge ordered Garcia-Morales to remain in Bergen County jail until case resolution on January 16, 2026. The coordinated investigation involved New Jersey State Police, Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office, Bergen County Sheriff’s Office, and multiple local police departments responding to what should have been prevented years earlier.
Federal Officials Condemn Sanctuary State Failures
U.S. Customs and Immigration Enforcement issued an arrest detainer against Garcia-Morales after DHS confirmed he is an illegal immigrant from Mexico. DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin characterized the attack as “extremely wicked and heinous” and directly blamed New Jersey’s sanctuary immigration policies for allowing Garcia-Morales to remain in the country despite his extensive criminal record. Federal officials stated they do not know when or where Garcia-Morales illegally entered the United States, highlighting gaps in border security that the Trump administration has prioritized fixing. This case demonstrates how sanctuary policies prioritize protecting criminal aliens over safeguarding American children. The victim’s family and community now pay the price for political decisions that handcuff federal law enforcement and prevent deportation of dangerous individuals who repeatedly demonstrate contempt for American laws.
Community Safety Concerns and Policy Implications
The attack raises serious questions about school transportation security and the broader consequences of sanctuary policies that the Trump administration is working to dismantle. Parents and school officials must now reassess field trip protocols and bus safety measures, burdens that should not exist if immigration laws were properly enforced. The incident occurred on a major interstate corridor during afternoon hours when countless school buses transport children, illustrating vulnerabilities created by catch-and-release policies. Police noted the bus carried no external markings identifying it as a Jewish school, though the motive remains under investigation. The Jewish Federation and broader Teaneck community are monitoring developments closely. This preventable tragedy underscores the common-sense principle that public safety requires enforcing immigration laws and removing criminal aliens rather than providing sanctuary that endangers innocent Americans, particularly vulnerable children.
Watch the report: Rock thrown at school bus in Teaneck, NJ seriously injures 8-year-old girl
Sources:
Rock thrown at school bus fractures 8-year-old’s skull; suspect arrested
DHS says illegal immigrant accused of throwing rock at New Jersey school bus, injuring young girl