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A Florida mother has been arrested after authorities say she tried to run over a school staff member at a high school last week.
Tarajayne Samuels-Catalan, 42, dropped her child off at Port Charlotte High School on Thursday morning and tried to exit the parking lot the same way she had entered, the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office said.
A worker at the school stopped Samuels-Catalan and told her she couldn’t leave that way due to buses coming through to drop off students.
Samuels-Catalan became agitated, according to authorities, though she eventually turned her car around, leading the staff member to believe she was leaving out the exit.
Tarajayne Samuels-Catalan, 42, has denied that she was trying to strike the employee with her car. She was charged with aggravated assault on a public or private education employee. (Charlotte County Sheriffs Office)
After the bus drove through and dropped off students, the sheriff’s office said the 42-year-old turned her car around toward the staff member and "hit the gas," revving the engine while allegedly speeding toward the man.
The worker dove out of the path of the speeding car and landed in a line of bushes, the sheriff’s office said. He was able to get the car’s license plate and report the incident to the school resource officer.
Deputies interviewed the mother on Tuesday. (Charlotte County Sheriff's Office, File)
During the investigation, a witness and security footage corroborated the victim’s claim.
During an interview with deputies on Tuesday, Samuels-Catalan said she prefers to go out through the entry to avoid speed bumps in the exit area that cause damage to her car and denied attempting to strike the victim with her vehicle.
Samuels-Catalan was charged with aggravated assault on a public or private education employee. She was being held at the Charlotte County Jail without bond.
"The pick-up and drop-off lines at the schools are frustrating at times, but we absolutely will not cut corners on ensuring the safety of the students and staff," Sheriff Bill Prummell said. "I am glad that our victim here is uninjured, and I hope that this mother rethinks the example she is setting for her child."
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