SPRINGFIELD, MASS. (WHDH) - Police in Springfield say both a driver and monitor were arrested and charged in connection with an assault on a special needs student.
The Springfield Police Department announced that Judy Cubin, 65, of Chicopee, and William Kane, 73, an East Longmeadow resident, were arrested after officials say a special needs child was assaulted while in a transportation van “for students with different types of physical, behavioral and cognitive needs.”
In a statement, the department said a representative for the van’s transportation company reached out to Springfield PD’s Special Victims Unit (SVU) after reviewing footage from one of their vehicles.
Police said an investigation was launched soon afterwards, with the unit reviewing the video themselves and speaking with the victim.
Warrants for the arrests of the van’s driver, Kane, and monitor, Cubin, were later granted. Both were taken into custody with the assistance of police in East Longmeadow and Chicopee.
According to the police department, both face the following charges:
- Threat to Commit a Crime
- Assault & Battery on a Disabled Person with Injury
- Assault & Battery with a Dangerous Weapon on a Child Under 14
- Reckless Endangerment of a Child
- Permit Injury to Child
Officials said the SVU investigation remains ongoing.
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