FLORIDA — Deputies say a Marion County man is facing multiple charges after allegedly using his sprinkler system to spray special needs children as they boarded and exited their school bus.
According to the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, 61-year-old Antonio Roman was arrested Sunday and charged with four counts of stalking, two counts of battery on a disabled person, and two counts of battery.
Investigators said Roman used surveillance cameras to monitor the arrival of a school bus and manually activated his sprinklers twice a day for more than a year. Deputies allege the system was used to intentionally spray the victims, which included two special needs children.
The children’s father reportedly resorted to wearing swim gear to shield them from the water, according to deputies.
Roman admitted he was upset about the bus stop’s location, which partially used his driveway for a wheelchair ramp, investigators said. He also acknowledged using surveillance cameras to time the sprinkler activation.
