Mother arrested for trying to hit Port Charlotte High staff member with her vehicle

Writer: Rachel Murphy
Published: Updated:
Tarajayne Samuels-Catalan’s booking photo, courtesy CCSO

A mother has been arrested after she attempted to hit a staff member of Port Charlotte High School with her vehicle.

According to the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office, Tarajayne Samuels-Catalan dropped her child off at school on Thursday, and then tried to exit the parking lot the same way she entered.

A staff member stopped Samuels-Catalan and said she could not exit that way because buses were coming in to drop off students. Samuels-Catalan eventually backed up and turned her vehicle around, leading the staff member to believe she was leaving as instructed.

A bus had begun pulling in during the incident and was forced to wait for the suspect’s vehicle to clear, said CCSO. Once clear, the bus continued on its route to let students off.

As the bus passed, Samuels-Catalan then turned her vehicle in the direction of the staff member and hit the gas. She revved the engine and sped toward him, said deputies.

The staff member was forced to dive into some bushes to evade the oncoming vehicle and reported the incident afterwards.

Samuels-Catalan was placed under arrest and charged with aggravated assault on a public or private education employee. She is currently being held at the Charlotte County Jail without bond.

Copyright ©2024 Fort Myers Broadcasting. All rights reserved.

This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without prior written consent.