Highland High school bus attendant charged in alleged beating of autistic middle schooler

Oct. 4—A Highland High School bus attendant — utilized to help special needs students — is in jail after allegedly abusing an autistic student repeatedly over a few weeks.

Debbie Chavira, 64, is charged with five counts of child abuse in the case.

The alleged abuse occurred between Aug. 26 and Sept. 4 on the morning bus to school and, according to Albuquerque Public Schools police, was captured by the bus' surveillance camera.

Chavira was booked into the Metropolitan Detention Center on Friday morning.

Court records show Chavira has been a bus attendant with APS since June 2022.

APS spokesman Martin Salazar told the Journal that Chavira, who had no reported past issues, resigned from APS on Sept. 5. He said the boy who was allegedly abused is "of middle school age."

"We do not tolerate this kind of behavior. Upon discovering what was happening, we immediately placed bus attendant Debbie Chavira on leave and notified the APS Police Department. APS Police launched an investigation and filed criminal charges on Thursday," Salazar said in a statement on behalf of the school district.

On Sept. 4, staff at Highland High School's Autism Center reported that a student — referred to as A.G. — came to school with "fresh scratch marks" on his neck, according to a criminal complaint filed in Metropolitan Court. Surveillance video viewed by that afternoon showed Chavira "slapping student A.G. with a plastic sign."

Police said they reviewed past surveillance footage from the bus and found Chavira struck the boy "on numerous occasions" dating back to Aug. 26. Surveillance video showed in the first incident, Chavira punched the boy and hit him with a "child check" sign — used on the bus to signify when it has been confirmed empty.

The abuse escalated, occurring more frequently, until Aug. 30, when Chavira struck the boy more than 20 times with the plastic sign in an hour's time, according to the complaint. On Sept. 4, the day the abuse was reported, Chavira hit the boy a dozen times with the sign, including in the face.

Police said the video showed Chavira "striking student A.G. intentionally and without justifiable cause while student A.G. is seated and seat belted, in an assigned bus seat." Chavira allegedly did so "open-handed, closed fisted, and with a plastic (yellow) 'child check sign.'"

The APS officer was "unable to interview student A.G. due to the student being autistic and non-verbal ... A.G. cannot communicate through writing either," according to the complaint.