Bus Aide Accused Of Assaulting Boy, 15, With Autism: Fairfield PD

FAIRFIELD, CT — A bus aide from Bridgeport is accused of assaulting a 15-year-old Fairfield boy with autism on several occasions, according to police. The victim’s father reported to police that his son came home from school on Nov. 19 with distinct injuries to his arm, according to Capt. Robert Kalamaras. The father told police that his son has been attending a school that works directly with autistic children for 5 ½ years. Police didn’t disclose the name of the school.

“After further investigation and review of surveillance footage pertaining to the bus transportation of the juvenile to his school, it was determined that injuries located on the juvenile were consistent with actions taken by the transportation aide over a period of time,” Kalamaras wrote in a press release.

Joseph Jean-Felix, 68, of Salem Street in Bridgeport, was arrested on a warrant outside of his home on Jan. 18. He was charged with five counts of assault of an intellectually disabled person, five counts of first-degree unlawful restraint and five counts of risk of injury to a minor. He was held on $50,000 court-set bond and is scheduled to appear in Bridgeport Superior Court on Jan. 25.

Officials from Connecticut Transportation Solutions say that Jean-Felix has been terminated from his position following an investigation.

“The employee involved in this incident has been terminated based on information obtained from both an internal and external investigation, and Connecticut Transportation Solutions is willingly cooperating with the Fairfield Police Department’s criminal investigation into the matter,” Chet Doheny, President, Connecticut Transportation Solutions, LLC, said in a statement. “Our company has a culture of responsiveness and a commitment to the safety of the children in our care, we have policies and procedures in place to ensure that safety, and we take very seriously the trust their parents place in us.”

Pictured: Joseph Jean-Felix, 68, of Bridgeport / Fairfield Police Department