- Latea Hentz has been charged with criminal confinement, battery resulting in moderate injury, intimidation and criminal trespassing.
- Hentz and her two children were allegedly captured on video getting into an altercation on a school bus with a 14-year-old child.
- Marion County Prosecutor Ryan Mears said, “Parents have the responsibility to protect our children, not harm them.”
An Indiana mother faces several felony charges after a viral video of her circulating online allegedly showed her and her two children getting into an altercation with another student on a school bus.
Latea Hentz, 36, has been charged with criminal confinement, battery resulting in moderate injury, intimidation and criminal trespassing for her role in an altercation that occurred with a 14-year-old student on March 6, according to charging documents from the Marion County Prosecutor’s Office obtained.
According to the prosecutor’s office, Hentz boarded a Warren Township bus “with her son and daughter to confront another student” before an “alleged physical altercation occurred” between the two children — her son, 13, and daughter, 17 — and the other student. That’s when Hentz “allegedly struck the child multiple times.”
“Parents have the responsibility to protect our children, not harm them. We must ensure a safe and respectful environment for our students,” said Marion County Prosecutor Ryan Mears in a statement.
Per Fox affiliate WXIN-TV, a video taken of the incident — which has since been taken down from social media — reportedly showed one female saying, “I’m tired of you b—- a– kids at this school.” Then another female allegedly said, “You wanna put your hands on my brother? If I have to get back on this bus, I’m gonna kill you.”
According to a probable cause affidavit obtained by PEOPLE, Hentz told police that her 13-year-old son had “not been acting like himself” due to an “ongoing bullying situation.” She told police that she had tried to address the situation on the bus before the two boys got into a fight, but did not say that she or her daughter got involved in it.
In addition to allegedly being “slapped without provocation” the day before the March 6th altercation, Hentz’s son also told police that the 14-year-old boy had been “picking on him for several weeks.” Per the affidavit, he also claimed that the school administration “was aware” of what was going on but that the “bullying had not stopped.”
Police observed that the 14-year-old boy, who was reportedly attacked, had swelling in his left eye and a laceration on his face from the incident. He was later taken to Riley Children’s Hospital for treatment, where it was determined that he had suffered a fractured nose, an eye injury and bruising, per the affidavit.
The 14-year-old told police that he would sometimes joke with Hentz’s son, but denied any physical altercation between the two, per the documents. He claimed on March 6, Hentz and her daughter boarded the school bus and started hitting him and screaming.
Per the affidavit, the boy also noted to police that he was subjugated to “racist jokes” by Hentz’s son. The mother of the 14-year-old boy claimed to police that her son had been the focus of bullying and racist jokes about Immigrations and Customs Enforcement since he was half-Mexican.
According to witnesses cited in the affidavit, Hentz boarded the bus with her daughter, who asked, “Which one is it?” She then instructed her brother to take off his coat. After he did, he started hitting the 14-year-old. The sister later “jumped in” and then their mother allegedly yelled, “You’re not going to touch my son again,” before hitting the child. Witnesses said the fight stopped when other buses pulled up and police lights could be seen.
The Warren Township School District told WXIN-TV in a statement that it was taking “all necessary steps to address the situation” and are asking any witnesses to provide further information. School officials also told the outlet that police reports have been filed and video evidence has been turned over to investigators.
