Man Is Accused Of Aiming Sprinklers At Students With Disabilities Waiting For A Bus

A man was arrested successful Ocala, Florida, complete nan play aft neighbors said he many times aimed sprinklers astatine students pinch with disabilities.

Antonio Roman, 61, was charged pinch 4 counts of stalking, 2 counts of battery, and 2 counts of artillery of a abnormal person, according to nan Marion County Sheriff's Office. Roman allegedly utilized his home's surveillance camera to move connected his sprinklers to intentionally spray his neighbors arsenic they waited for a schoolhouse bus.

A family pinch 2 students who said they were targeted contacted nan sheriff's agency successful April astir Roman. The begetter informed Corporal Kyle Ferguson, who investigated nan matter, that Roman sprayed nan family doubly a time erstwhile 2 of nan victims were loaded and unloaded from nan bus.

One of nan victims is simply a 17-year-old who has been diagnosed pinch Prader-Willi syndrome, a familial disorder, and is cognitively impaired, according to an apprehension warrant obtained by NBC News. The different is simply a 22-year-old pinch autism and Rubinstein-Taybi syndrome, besides a familial disorder, nan warrant said.

The warrant notes that nan begetter besides has a limb amputation.

The family told constabulary that Roman attempted to person nan autobus extremity moved by some nan schoolhouse territory and a homeowners relation and began retaliating erstwhile those efforts failed, nan warrant said.

Roman is accused of spraying nan students for much than a year. The family told authorities that they judge their students person been sprayed 400 times, according to nan warrant. Officials opportunity immoderate of nan incidents were recorded by nan family.

The parents said that Roman’s actions “are causing them important affectional distress and causing interest for their information and nan information of their children," according to nan warrant.

"While conducting further investigation of this case, it was discovered nan fishy has called this agency an estimated 75 times since 06/24/2023 pinch nan mostly of complaints being against nan victims of this case," nan warrant said.

Ferguson confirmed nan sprinkler strategy was aimed straight astatine nan autobus stop, nan sheriff's agency said. Ferguson saw that sprinklers "activated erstwhile nan autobus arrived and deactivated arsenic soon arsenic it near nan area."

NBC News obtained video of 1 of nan incidents observed by nan Marion County Sheriff's Office. It shows that nan sprinklers are disconnected until a schoolhouse autobus pulls successful beforehand of nan homes.

The family, including 1 personification successful a wheelchair, is seen having to locomotion done nan spray of water. Once nan autobus pulls away, nan sprinklers stop, according to nan video.

"Contact was made pinch Roman via telephone, who advised that he was upset astir nan location of nan autobus extremity and did not for illustration that it utilized portion of his driveway for nan wheelchair ramp 1 of nan victims needed," nan sheriff's agency said.

According to nan sheriff's office, Roman said he utilized his surveillance strategy to way nan autobus and manually activate nan sprinklers.

Roman was astatine a residence out-of-state successful June erstwhile an apprehension warrant was issued, nan sheriff's agency said. When he returned to Marion County connected Sunday, he contacted nan sheriff's agency to move himself in.

Court records were not instantly disposable for Roman's case, and it's unclear if he has retained an attorney. Inmate records show he was released from jailhouse Tuesday.

A man who answered a telephone number listed for Roman successful nationalist records hung up connected an NBC News newsman who reached retired for remark connected Tuesday.