SALEM, Mass. — A Salem man faced a judge after police say he assaulted two young children who were waiting for their school bus.
Scott Deharo, 43, is accused of assaulting the two children while yelling racial and homophobic slurs at them, Salem Police said.
A Boston 25 News reporter talked to one mother who saw the whole thing.
"It was mostly about race and color," said Carmen Fonseca.
"He was like, 'You don't belong here' and pretty much saying, 'Colored people don't belong in Salem,'" Fonseca said.
Police say it happened while the children, who are around age 9, were waiting for their school bus Wednesday morning. Police located Deharo after he ran off. He is charged with hitting the children and yelling the hateful slurs.
Police say a 9-year-old had to go to the hospital with a bloody nose.
"And I'm on with the phone with the police at the time and her son has a bloody nose and bleeding all over the place because her son got punched in the face by the guy and another little girl got pushed," Fonseca said.
Deharo also lives in the building. He is due back in court for a dangerousness hearing on June 18.
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