The bus driver at a special needs school in Riverside, California, was arrested after she was accused of providing fentanyl to students.
The shocking incident unfolded at Bright Futures Academy after police were called out on a report of an “incorrigible juvenile” at the school on Tuesday.
While there, a school official alerted the police to the possibility of an employee selling drugs to children.
A week prior to that report, one child who was a student at the school had allegedly overdosed on fentanyl at their home.
Police searched the home of the employee, who was identified as 46-year-old Melissa Harloam-Garrison. Her home was a cottage that was on school property.
“Officers conducted a search of the cottage and found over a hundred suspected Fentanyl pills, two handguns, and various types of ammunition,” police said in a statement on Instagram.
They posted a photograph of the handguns, the suspected fentanyl, and ammunition along with a Jelly Belly Star Wars candy tin.
Harloam-Garrison was held at the Robert Presley Detention Center on $50,000 bail. She was charged with possession of narcotics for sale, sale of narcotics to minors, possession of controlled substances, drug addict in possession of a firearm, possession of a firearm on school campus, being a person prohibited from owning or possession a firearm, and child endangerment.
Her husband, 58-year-old David Garrison, was also arrested on suspicion of possessing a firearm on campus and being a person prohibited from owning or possessing a firearm. He was held on $25,000 bail.
Riverside police said the investigation was still ongoing.
KTLA reported that the woman was possibly the daughter of the person who operates the school, which is a non-public school serving special needs children from kindergarten to the twelfth grade.
Here’s a local news report about the harrowing incident:
Riverside school employee arrested for allegedly giving students fentanyl www.youtube.com