Cape Coral woman arrested after incident on school bus

A Cape Coral woman was arrested Friday afternoon after police say she assaulted a school bus driver over children not being let off the bus.

According to an arrest report, Cape Coral police officers were dispatched to the corner of Hancock Bridge Parkway and Northeast 8th Place over a call about a battery in progress on a school bus. The call notes stated that a parent was in a physical fight with the school bus driver due to children being on the wrong bus.

The bus driver told police that the bus was heading along Hancock Bridge Parkway and had stopped at the Northeast 8th Place stoplight when Angel Harrell, 19, approached the bus, forced the door open and said, “Give me the kids.” Harrell then grabbed the driver by the wrists, saying “I’m stronger than you” before telling the kids to get out. She also reportedly said, “If you do not give the kids, I’ll punch you.”

The driver grabbed the radio to call for help before Harrell ripped it out of their hands and started talking into it, again threatening to punch the bus driver. Other children started exiting the bus during the confrontation. The driver told police they were merely filling in on the bus route that day.

“I can’t believe a 19-year-old would do that. I mean, you know, first of all, I would be in shock,” said Arlene Andre, who lives near the intersection where the bus was stopped. “You don’t tell my kid to get off the bus. I mean, really? You know, it’s like, you have no business to doing that.”

Harrell was still at the scene and told officers she went to find the bus after receiving a call about a child not being dropped off at the right bus stop. Harrell entered the bus and demanded the bus driver let the child off but says while she was on the bus she heard other kids crying, which is why she grabbed the bus driver by the wrists and told the other kids to get off the bus if they wanted to. Harrell says she was going to punch the bus driver but decided not to. She then forced the doors open again and held them open while multiple kids exited the bus.

Harrell was placed under arrest and faces charges of burglary of a conveyance with assault or battery and battery (touch or strike). She remains in Lee County Jail.