Bergen County Jail Order: Illegal Alien Hernando Garcia Morales Linked to Year-Long Rock-Throwing Spree

“Very Violent and Very Dangerous”: Bergen Judge Orders Jail for Man in School Bus Rock-Throwing Attack

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Hackensack NJ, a high-stakes detention hearing in Hackensack has revealed the “horrifying” details of a random act of violence that has left an 8-year-old girl with life-altering injuries.

On Friday, Superior Court Judge Marc Ramundo ordered 40-year-old Illegal alien Hernando Garcia Morales to remain in the Bergen County Jail until his trial. Illegal alien Hernando Garcia Morales is accused of shattering a school bus window with a rock on January 7, 2026, striking a third-grade student as her class returned from a field trip to the Liberty Science Center.

Morales has been charged with seriously injuring an 8-year-old girl. Police say the rock fractured the child’s skull, prompting an immediate emergency response.

Officials confirm he is being held with an immigration detainer.
Charges include:
• Aggravated Assault
• Endangering the Welfare of a Child
• Criminal Mischief
• Resisting Arrest

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The Victim: A Fight for Recovery

Assistant Prosecutor Ricky Ruddy detailed the “extraordinary randomness” and brutality of the attack. The victim, a student at Yeshivat Noam in Paramus, was struck by a rock thrown while the bus was traveling near Teaneck.

The medical details shared during the hearing were staggering:

• Severe Facial Trauma: The girl suffered a skull fracture the size of a nickel to her orbital bone and a deep laceration across her forehead.

• Emergency Surgery: Doctors at Hackensack University Medical Center had to install a titanium mesh plate and screws in her head.

• Ongoing Trauma: The child’s right sinus was removed, and she remains hospitalized with significant swelling.

“This is an incident that will not only stick with the victim, but also the other children on the bus with her,” Ruddy told the court.

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The Suspect: A History of “Rock-Throwing” and Evasion

Garcia-Morales, who is reportedly homeless and facing an immigration detainer, was linked to the attack through a specialized state police investigation. Authorities revealed this was not an isolated incident.

A Pattern of Aggression:

• Confession: Police state that Garcia-Morales confessed to the act, claiming the bus was “the devil” or his “enemy.”

• Bogota Incidents: Throughout 2025, Garcia-Morales was accused of throwing rocks at cars and police officers in Bogota, successfully evading capture for months despite the use of K-9 units and drones.

• Evading Justice: He allegedly avoided a 2006 burglary charge for 17 years before being apprehended in 2023.

Current Charges Include:

• Aggravated Assault

• Endangering the Welfare of a Child

• Possession of a Weapon for an Unlawful Purpose

• Resisting Arrest and Hindering Apprehension

The Defense: A Mental Health Crisis?

Defense attorney Heather Aguilar-Sposato argued that her client is “clearly not mentally OK,” citing his delusional comments about the bus being “the devil.” She contended that it was not his intent to cause harm and noted that he lived a “law-abiding life” during the 17 years he was out of the system.

Judge Ramundo, however, remained unmoved by the plea for a mental health facility, citing the “very serious, very violent” nature of the unprovoked attack on a stranger.

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Next Steps in the Case

The victim’s parents watched the proceedings via Zoom, witnessing the judge’s decision to keep Garcia-Morales behind bars.

• Appeal Window: The defense has seven days to appeal the detention decision.

• Next Hearing: An early disposition conference is scheduled for February 24, 2024, where a potential plea deal may be discussed.

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