Jamie Tellez, 50, became angry after two children, aged 10 and 11, were throwing trash at a trash can at the front of the bus, The Arizona Republic reported.
"I'm going to (expletive) knock the (expletive) out of you," Tellez said, according to investigators.
Police said Tellez abruptly stopped the bus in the middle of the street, causing one of the boys to hit his head against the front windshield, cracking the glass. Tellez then grabbed the other boy by his backpack and pushed him to the back of the bus.
Tellez never checked on the welfare of the injured boy before starting back along the route. The boys were then dropped off at their stops without any other incident, according to investigators.
The injured boy's parents said he had a cut on his lip and injury to his hip, the Republic reported.
“The irresponsible behavior by this bus driver put several students in harm’s way,” Mesa police Chief Ramon Batista said in a statement. “We are thankful that our school district quickly reported this incident to our officers.”
Tellez was arrested and charged with child abuse. A status conference in court is scheduled for Oct. 23.
He has worked as a bus driver for the district since September 2018. He is on unpaid leave and will likely lose his job. A ruling on his termination will be decided by the school board Oct. 24.
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