Illegal immigrant with a two-decade rap sheet nearly killed an innocent 8-year-old girl by hurling a baseball-sized rock through her school bus window—thanks to New Jersey’s sanctuary policies that kept him on our streets.
Story Snapshot
- A rock thrown at a Yeshivat Noam school bus on January 7 fractured an 8-year-old girl’s skull, requiring emergency surgery.
- Suspect Hernando Garcia-Morales, 40, from Mexico, linked to multiple rock-throwing attacks and prior crimes dating back to 2006.
- DHS confirms Garcia-Morales is an illegal immigrant shielded by New Jersey sanctuary policies, preventing prior deportation.
- Superior court ordered him held without bail in Bergen County Jail as Trump-era enforcement ramps up nationwide.
The Attack on Innocent Children
On January 7, 2026, around 2:00 PM, Hernando Garcia-Morales threw a baseball-sized rock through a school bus window on the New Jersey Turnpike near Exit 70A/B in Teaneck Township. The northbound bus carried third-graders from Yeshivat Noam Jewish day school in Paramus, returning from a field trip to the Liberty Science Center in Jersey City. The projectile struck an 8-year-old girl, fracturing her skull and sending her to the hospital for surgery. She remains hospitalized but is expected to recover. New Jersey State Police released bus damage images the next day, launching an aggravated assault probe.
Suspect’s Lengthy Criminal History
Hernando Garcia-Morales, 40, of Palisades Park, New Jersey, faces charges including aggravated assault, possession of a weapon for unlawful purpose, endangering the welfare of a child, criminal mischief, resisting arrest by flight, and hindering apprehension. Bogota Police added aggravated assault, criminal trespassing (defiant), criminal trespassing (peering), and criminal mischief for property damage. Investigators tied him to multiple prior rock-throwing incidents in Bogota Borough and along the Turnpike. His record spans two decades: 2006 arrests for weapon possession and theft; 2023 Hackensack burglary, false information, and attempted burglary, downgraded to 30 days jail plus $905 fine for disorderly conduct.
Sanctuary Policies Enabled the Violence
Department of Homeland Security revealed Garcia-Morales as a criminal illegal immigrant from Mexico. ICE issued an arrest detainer, but New Jersey’s sanctuary policies blocked his deportation despite repeated offenses. DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin called the attack “extremely wicked and heinous,” stating he “should have never been in this country.” On January 9, Turnpike State Police arrested him; a January 16 superior court judge ruled he stays in Bergen County Jail pending resolution. With President Trump now in office, expect swift federal action to deport such dangers, restoring law and order eroded by Biden-era laxness.
Parents and the Yeshivat Noam community reel from the trauma, with students afraid to board buses and calls growing for better field trip security. New Jersey State Police, Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office, Sheriff’s Office, and local departments coordinated the probe. The unmarketed bus leaves motive unclear, but the pattern underscores risks on major highways. This case spotlights sanctuary folly: criminals roam free, preying on our kids while Trump fights to secure borders and prioritize American safety.
https://www.foxnews.com/us/dhs-says-illegal-immigrant-accused-throwing-rock-new-jersey-school-bus-injuring-young-girl
Broader Implications for School Safety and Borders
The attack exposes vulnerabilities in school transportation on interstate corridors like the New Jersey Turnpike, a high-traffic route through dense northern Jersey. Families demand enhanced protocols for field trips, stronger bus windows, and better oversight. Community trust erodes as parents fear daily commutes. Teaneck’s mayor and Jewish Federation monitor closely, stressing student protection. Under Trump’s crackdown, with mass deportations underway, cases like this fuel demands to end sanctuary havens that shield repeat offenders from justice. Real change protects our children first.
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
