Fall River family plans legal action after autistic son reportedly dropped off at wrong bus stop

A Fall River family is outraged after they say their autistic son was left at the wrong bus stop on Wednesday.

According to father, Zach Cinquegrana, his 7-year-old autistic son goes to Alfred S. Letourneau Elementary School which uses Amaral Bus Company. He noted that all students receive badges that show what bus stop they get off at and a color which indicates whether they can get off the bus by themselves.

“My son’s is red which means they require a parent signature to let him off the bus. (Wednesday) they dropped my 7-year-old autistic son off at the WRONG stop with NOBODY there to get him.”

Luckily, the boy followed another mom who called the school and the police.

Cinquegrana stated that his wife found out that his son was dropped off at the wrong location when the bus came and he wasn’t there.

“The bus monitor completely didn’t care just shrugging it off and my wife had to frantically search the city when the school called and told her that some random parent found him and she was in some general area. When she found him, he was sobbing and screaming with that wonderful mom and the police. The police told her this was the 7th time this has happened with this company. If that mom hadn’t found him, he would have just been a 7-year-old autistic child wandering a busy street by himself.”

Cinquegrana plans to pursue legal action.

“This was the most terrified either of us have ever been in our entire lives and our son could have easily been picked up by anybody. We filed a police report, and the bus company called us and told us they reported the bus monitor to DCF for criminal neglect, took her off that route, and that she would not be working with any small children while they do an internal investigation. We don’t think this is enough and she should be fired immediately.”

According to Cinquegrana, DCF told him that the bus monitor will likely be charged with neglect.

The police report that Fall River Reporter obtained through Cinquegrana, stated that “Officer Daryan Rogers while assigned to Sector 12 of the Fall River Police Department A- Division responded to the area of 1248 South Main Street in regard to a lost child. Per call notes, a young male juvenile followed the complainant and her son from a bus stop to the above address. Officer Brandon Antone along with Officer Christian Ortiz responded to assist.

Upon arrival, the officer spoke with the complainant who was alongside a young juvenile to whom he identified as Cinquegrana’s son. An employee at the school determined that Amaral Bus company did not check the boy’s ID before letting him off the bus. Letourneau School then contacted the boy’s mother, who responded to the scene. 

We contacted Amaral Bus Company for comment via email and have not yet heard back.