Tulsa County prosecutors have charged a former Bixby Public Schools bus aide with two felony counts of lewd molestation of a special needs student.
Juan Mendoza, 76, faces the charges after investigators reviewed bus surveillance video showing two separate alleged incidents, as reported by NewsOn6. A warrant has been issued for Mendoza's arrest. He was not booked into jail after his initial arrest.
The district received the report Wednesday, Oct. 21, when a Bixby school bus driver told a supervisor that an interaction between Mendoza and a student made the driver uncomfortable, according to court documents cited by NewsOn6. Bixby Public Schools notified the Bixby Police Department, the Department of Human Services (DHS) and the State Department of Education.
NewsOn6 reported that court documents describe two incidents captured on bus surveillance video. In the earlier incident, Sept. 16 footage allegedly shows Mendoza blocking the student from moving down the bus aisle and groping her chest.
In the second incident, Mendoza allegedly grabbed and held the student's chest while helping her board the bus and get to her seat, according to the court documents cited by NewsOn6. He was heard telling the student, "Go to your seat, go to your seat, good girl," the documents state. The video then allegedly shows Mendoza standing over the student and thrusting his fingers into her mouth.
Bixby Public Schools fired Mendoza after the initial report. The district said Mendoza started as a bus aide in August. He had previously worked as a bus driver for the district from 2016 to 2024 before leaving to work at a different school district, according to the district.
Superintendent Lydia Wilson said the district is cooperating with law enforcement. "We appreciate the bus driver's attentiveness and willingness to report their concerns through the appropriate channels," Wilson said in a statement.
The Tulsa County District Attorney's Office confirmed the charges and called the case ongoing. Defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
Anyone with information about the case can contact the Bixby Police Department.
