Santa Ana School Bus Driver Charged With Assaulting Two Girls

Santa Ana School Bus Driver Charged With Assaulting Two Girls
Fairfax County Public School buses parked at a middle school in Falls Church, Va., on July 20, 2020. (J. Scott Applewhite/AP Photo)
City News Service
1/6/2021
Updated:
1/6/2021

SANTA ANA (CNS)—Felony charges were filed today against a 39-year-old school bus driver in Santa Ana who’s accused of sexually assaulting two young girls over a period of several years, starting when they were 7 and 8 years old.

Nery Rodriguez Gonzalez of Upland is facing two counts each of continuous sexual abuse of a child and sexual intercourse or sodomy with a child 10 years or younger, and one count each of oral copulation or sexual penetration with a child 10 years or younger and aggravated sexual assault of a child younger than 14.

The sexual assaults lasted for about four years, according to Santa Ana police Cpl. Anthony Bertagna. Police did not want to say how the defendant knew the girls because they are concerned that it could reveal their identities.

Investigators are also concerned there could be more victims because Rodriguez Gonzalez works for Durham School Services and drives a bus servicing the Santa Ana Unified School District. There is no evidence at this time that he has molested any students as a bus driver, Bertagna said.

“Some of the routes he drove were for special needs kids,'' he said.

The defendant was arrested on Jan. 1 in Santa Ana, Bertagna said.

Anyone who has information relevant for investigators is asked to call Detective Nick Vega at 714-245-8368, or email him at [email protected].

Orange County Crime Stoppers will accept anonymous tips at 855-TIP-OCCS.