MANALAPAN – A recent incident that resulted in the arrest of an 18-yearold township resident who was charged with assaulting a school bus driver has taken an unexpected turn with the bus driver himself now facing charges relating to the matter.
According to police, Gilbert H. Horowitz, 67, of the Wayside section of Ocean Township, has been charged with harassment of a teenage girl. Horowitz is employed by Durham School Services, Freehold, a private bus company, and was driving a 15-year-old girl to her Veronica Court home from St. John Vianney High School, Holmdel, on Jan. 14.
According to a Jan. 29 press release issued by the Manalapan Police Department, an investigation determined that Horowitz “did in fact use offensively coarse and inappropriate language that was directed at the female juvenile while she was riding on the bus on Jan. 14 …”
According to the arrest warrant prepared for Horowitz, he is alleged to have said to the girl, “Punish me, whip me, I am that type of guy.”
On the following day, Jan. 15, John Bannon, 18, of Manalapan, the brother of the teenage girl, was charged with assaulting Horowitz on the school bus as the driver let the girl off at her home.
The Jan. 29 police press release states that it was Horowitz’s remarks to Bannon’s sister that precipitated the assault.
Bannon was charged with aggravated assault on a bus driver, aggravated assault, endangering the welfare of a minor, burglary and criminal mischief. Police said he was charged with burglary because he allegedly broke into the bus in order to carry out the assault against Horowitz.
Bannon was charged with endangering the welfare of a minor because another student was on the bus at the time of the alleged assault against Horowitz on the afternoon of Jan. 15. The criminal mischief charge was lodged against Bannon as a result of damage done to the door and interior of the bus, according to police.
Police said Horowitz told authorities that Bannon had initially verbally confronted him about statements Bannon alleges Horowitz made to Bannon’s sister while she was riding on the school bus.P
olice have alleged that while the school bus was in front of the Bannon home on Jan. 15 a verbal confrontation occurred between Bannon and Horowitz.
It is alleged that Bannon subsequently “forcibly entered the bus” and assaulted Horowitz who, according to a police press release, was in the driver’s seat and wearing a seat belt during the entire incident.
Police said Horowitz completed his run on Jan. 15 and returned his bus to the company yard before reporting the incident to authorities and receiving treatment at CentraState Medical Center, Freehold Township, for a broken nose and other facial injuries.
Last week Don Jauch, area general manager for Durham School Services, said Horowitz, who has been employed by the company for almost four years, has been out on a leave of absence since the Jan. 15 incident and will remain on leave until the matter is resolved in court and he is fully recovered from the assault.
According to Jauch, Horowitz’s nose was “shattered” and he sustained multiple lacerations and a broken eye socket for which he had to undergo reconstructive surgery.
Asked to comment on the fact that Horowitz has been charged with harassment against a teenager, Jauch said, “There was an alleged comment but he (Horowitz) denies it.”
Bannon’s mother said her son would have no comment on the matter.
Following his arrest on Jan. 15, Bannon was released after posting $10,000 bail.H
orowitz was released on his own recognizance after he was charged with harassment against the teenage girl. He was given an initial court date of Feb. 4.
Manalapan detectives Eric Schmidt and Samuel Britton Jr. were the investigating officers.