Police: 12-year-old arrested after attack on school bus

YORK, S.C. — The parents of a middle school student are speaking out after a 12-year-old classmate was charged with attacking her on a school bus.

Police arrested her on Christmas Eve.

The Seafords said their daughter Erica has been bullied by a girl for weeks.

They said Erica knew as soon as she stepped on the bus that day she was going to be attacked.

Nicole Seaford believes her daughter, a seventh-grader at York Middle School, was ambushed after she got on the bus heading home from school on Dec 13.

"As the kids are getting off the bus they are saying things like, 'Good luck, good luck, Erica,'" Nicole Seaford said.

Nicole Seaford said minutes later, a 12-year-old girl walked from the back of the bus to the front where Erica was sitting.

She said another girl distracted Erica by asking about her shoes.

"Erica bends down like this then the girl that beat her up jumps on her, hits her in the head, grabs her by the hair, drags her to the back of the bus, gets on top of her and starts beating on her," Nicole Seaford said.

Nicole Seaford said her daughter screamed for the girl to stop but no one came to her rescue.

Erica got off the school bus and her father was home when she walked through the door.

"Soon as she came around the corner her face was a mess," Daniel Seaford said. "She was crying. She was so upset she couldn't really tell me what was going on, but I was upset."

He said Erica's face was swollen and black and blue.

The Seafords took Erica to the hospital and called police.

York police arrested the 12-year-old girl and charged her with assault and battery.

The Seafords said their daughter reported the alleged bullying to school officials in the past.

Channel 9 contacted school leaders for comment but there has been no response.

WSOC