Woman injured when she’s carjacked at knifepoint leaving Rochester school; Suspects crash into school bus
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ROCHESTER, N.Y. – A woman leaving work was injured when two suspects stole her car at knifepoint Wednesday in a school parking lot.
Police say the 51-year-old was leaving Rochester School No. 57 around 4 p.m. While loading her belongings into her Jeep, police she was approached by a man wielding a knife. The victim was injured when the suspect grabbed a necklace and lanyard from around her neck, according to Rochester Police.
Here’s a video a viewer sent us of the crash:
Less than an hour later, officers spotted the stolen Jeep and attempted to stop the driver. A chase ensued.
As officers were attempting to call out to the occupants of the stolen vehicle, they say the driver suddenly reversed the Jeep, ramming its rear bumper into the front bumper of a Rochester Police car.
The vehicle did take off at that point,” RPD Capt. Adam Radens said. “The officers pursued the vehicle. At one point the vehicle was heading the wrong way on Roycroft approaching the intersection at Roycroft and Carter.”
It all came to an end when the stolen Jeep crashed into a school bus.
“At that same moment, a northbound bus, a school bus was trying to attempt to cross that intersection when the stolen vehicle did crash into the front of it,” Radens said.
Seventeen student passengers and one adult driver were on board the school bus. Luckily no one was hurt.
Police say one of the people found riding inside the stolen Jeep was responsible for the carjacking. Maliq McCullough, 20, is charged with robbery, assault, and grand larceny. He was arrested after a police chase. McCullough was taken to the Monroe County Jail and was arraigned Thursday.
The other person who RPD said was in the car, 23-year-old Adeosun Hughes, is charged with the unauthorized use of a motor vehicle. He was issued an appearance ticket for Rochester City Court.
This is the second reported carjacking on city school district property this year.
“This is very traumatizing to people,| Adam Urbanski, head of the Rochester Teachers Association, said. “If you can’t feel safe in a school parking lot, you’re not likely to feel safe at school, and if teachers don’t feel safe you can bet that the children are not safe either.”
RCSD superintendent Dr. Carmine Peluso issued this statement about the carjacking, saying that he has spoken with city officials about school safety:
“It is devastating that the value of education has been decimated to the level where students and staff need to worry about their safety as they arrive and leave our campuses. Our schools must be safe havens from these random acts of violence, and the perpetrators must be held accountable. Yesterday, I spoke with Mayor Evans several times to discuss the challenges our school district faces daily with crime and the absolute importance that our schools are protected ground and shielded from these despicable acts. The Mayor agrees, and we will continue proactively working with the City to ensure safety outside of our buildings. I implore our community to come together to demand accountability for the crime surrounding our schools. A community that does not value and protect children and educators cannot progress and thrive.“
Marisol O. Ramos-Lopez, chief of communications & intergovernmental affairs for the Rochester City School District, released the following statement Wednesday:
“We are extremely relieved that neither the students nor the bus driver were hurt during that accident. The students are from Rochester Prep Charter School and were being transported in an RCSD contracted school bus.”
Coverage from Wednesday evening:
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