BERKS COUNTY

School Bus Aide Accused of Spraying 2 Boys in the Face With Cleaning Solutions

Juana Antonio Dorta is charged with simple assault, endangering the welfare of children and harassment. 

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What to Know

  • Investigators say they obtained surveillance video showing Juan Antonio Dorta, a school bus aide, spraying a 12-year-old boy and a 10-year-old boy in the face with cleaning solutions.
  • Dorta was arrested Monday and charged with simple assault, endangering the welfare of children and harassment. 
  • Both boys are students at the New Story School on 1245 Perkiomen Avenue in Reading, Pennsylvania. 

A Berks County school bus aide is accused of spraying two young students in the face with cleaning solutions. 

The investigation began on May 13 when Berks County Detectives received a referral from Pennsylvania’s Department of Human Services reporting a school bus aide had sprayed students with a substance believed to be a cleaning solution while they were on a school bus.  

Investigators identified the aide as Juan Antonio Dorta, 52, of Reading, Pennsylvania. They also obtained surveillance video from inside the bus which they said showed him spraying a 12-year-old boy and a 10-year-old boy. 

On May 19, detectives interviewed the 12-year-old boy. The boy accused Dorta of spraying him in the eyes, face and mouth with a substance from a blue bottle. The boy also said Dorta threatened to punch him. 

Detectives determined the bottle contained a glass and multi-surface cleaner with active ingredients that can cause skin corrosion, serious eye damage and irritation. 

On May 28, detectives interviewed the 10-year-old boy who accused Dorta of spraying him in the face with a liquid from a green spray bottle. Detectives determined the liquid was a restroom floor and surface cleaner that contained ingredients that can cause acute oral toxicity, skin corrosion, serious eye damage and irritation. 

Both boys are students at the New Story School on 1245 Perkiomen Avenue in Reading, Pennsylvania. The school serves students with behavioral issues.

"They're not everyday kids," Donna Livengood, a Reading resident, told NBC10. "They can't figure things out. They need guidance. So I think it's terrible."

Dorta surrendered to the Berks County Detective’s Office around 1:15 p.m. on Monday and was later taken to the Berks County Sheriff’s Department. 

He is charged with simple assault, endangering the welfare of children and harassment. 

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