Action News has exclusively obtained surveillance video that authorities say is disturbing and shows how the charter school handled the situation.
At just before 11:30 a.m. Monday at the Chester Community Chester School, West C Building, the surveillance video shows a janitor taunting an 8-year-old boy telling him, 'I just had your 12-year-old brother in a headlock'. The child responded that he didn't care and the janitor again taunts him saying, 'Did you hear me, I just had your 12-year-old brother in a headlock.'
Valdez May, the 8-year-old boy's father, says his son may have spoken with an attitude. "I guess the guy didn't like his attitude, [my son] wasn't afraid of him, that probably bothered him a little bit," May said.
Authorities say the janitor is then seen lunging for the boy, choking him and punching him about his face.
"The male subject grabbed the juvenile, put him in some kind of arm lock or headlock and he sustained injury to his mouth, he said when the struggle was going on he was punched in the mouth," Chester Township Police Officer Kevin Paden said.
An adult is seen passing by, totally oblivious to what was going on.
A little girl runs over and tells the janitor to stop it, then she went and told a teacher. A teacher finally comes over and tells the janitor to let the boy go.
Despite bleeding from the mouth, the boy's father says the school sent him home on a bus and then had his 12-year-old brother call him after 4:00 p.m. to tell him what happened.
"You send my son home on a bus and call me at 4:05, I think that's ridiculous, I think if something like that happens, you call the parents first, say 'Hey this is what's going on, we need you at the school,'" May said.
When asked if the school called the police, the father replied, "No, they didn't notify anybody. They didn't even notify me, a 12-year-old notified me."
The father contacted police who investigated and then arrested the janitor identified as 18-year-old Jorge Alvarado-Barbosa of Chester. He is charged with aggravated assault, simple assault and recklessly endangering another person.
"I'm just happy the father came forward and handled it in such a nice way, he didn't take it into his own hands, he came to us, he was very calm and he told us he wanted to handle it the right way," Officer Paden said.
Action News was not able to obtain a comment from school officials.
The 8-year-old boy is now at home recuperating from his ordeal. His parents plan to keep him home for couple days. Meanwhile, the suspect has been remanded to the George Hill Correctional facility in lieu of $5,000 cash bail.