GREENLAND, N.H. (WHDH) - A mother from Maine is speaking out in defense of her son, who has been charged in federal court with interstate stalking and allegedly threatening an 8-year-old in New Hampshire.
Authorities said 39-year-old Michael Chick, a school bus driver working for the Greenland Central School in Greenland, New Hampshire, allegedly threatened the student and the child’s family, traveling from Maine to New Hampshire to make the threats.
Police arrested Chick Friday night at his home in Eliot, Maine, where 7NEWS spoke with his mother.
“He would not harm anybody, no,” said Judy Chick when asked whether she believed her son ever wished to harm any children.
But, when it came to the stalking charge, she said “yes, he was doing that.”
“He says he did that,” Chick’s mother added. She asked the public not to jump to conclusions, as he has not had the opportunity to defend himself. Still, she is “not in denial that he didn’t do anything,” she said.
Michael Chick’s arrest came after the 8-year-old student’s parents filed a criminal complaint, citing several problems with the bus driver.
The complaint said that in April, their son and daughter’s bus driver, identified as Chick, had given them gifts like candy, Pokémon paraphernalia, and other small toys.
When the kids were absent from school, the parents said Chick would leave notes for the children at their home that said how much he missed them.
The complaint stated that in May, Chick “stopped and asked if he could attend the boy’s Little League baseball game.” The boy’s parents then contacted the school, getting Greenland Police and the school bus company involved.
“This started with just the parents actually being aware, and then we have left no stone unturned,” said Greenland Police Chief Tara Laurent. “If they hadn’t come to us, I don’t think we would be having an investigation at all. He wouldn’t be on our radar, and I think that there’d be a lot more people in danger because of it.”
The Student School Administration asked the bus company to assign Chick to a different route. The complaint said the next day, Greenland Police told Chick he could have no more contact with the boy or his family.
In July, documents alleged someone found two TracFones in the boy’s bedroom. The child admitted that Chick had given him the phones in May.
Upon searching Chick’s car, investigators said they found a “TracFone, a digital camera, duct tape, rubber gloves, sweet (candy) liquor, candy, children’s clothing including underwear, children’s toys, a magnetic GPS vehicle tracker.” Investigators said they also executed a search warrant at Chick’s home.
When asked about the items, his mother told 7NEWS that, in the case of the rubber gloves, he was required to have them for his job, while some other items were related to time he spent as a babysitter.
According to the police, the notes found in Chick’s room said things like, “You saved yourself. Would have taken you away on Friday.” Investigators also said there were detailed instructions on how to take body selfies from different angles and instructions on keeping a secret “in order for your family to not be killed.”
7NEWS has also learned Chick has since been fired from his job as a bus driver.
A spokesperson for First Student, Inc. told 7NEWS Chick was originally hired after he passed a background check, possessing no criminal record, but was terminated after the company learned of his arrest.
“At First Student, we take these charges very seriously,” spokesperson Jay Brock said in a statement. “Behavior such as this is completely unacceptable and at odds with what we stand for as a company. First Student no longer employs the driver. We are cooperating with the authorities and given that this is an active investigation, we are unable to comment further.”
The New Hampshire U.S. Attorney’s Office asks that anyone with information relevant to their investigation into Chick contact them at 603-722-1751.
Chick appeared in federal district court Tuesday afternoon with a hearing scheduled for August 18.
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