CITRUS COUNTY, Fla. – A routine morning school bus route in Citrus Springs turned into a police investigation Thursday after a parent allegedly pulled a handgun on a substitute driver because he was upset with the regular driver.
According to the Citrus County Sheriff’s Office, the incident unfolded around 8:09 a.m. on May 21 at a designated school bus stop near North Velvet Terrace and West Bromin Court. A substitute driver was driving the bus when Otoniel Carlos O’Valle—known as “Oto”—pulled up in an older model blue Chevy Blazer.
O’Valle, whose two elementary-aged children use that stop, walked up to the open door of the bus, pulled an all-black handgun out of his waistband, and asked if she was the regular driver. When the driver replied that she was a substitute, O’Valle reportedly told her it was her “lucky day” and slid the gun into his front pocket. Authorities said he then explained he was angry because the normal driver had previously yelled at his kids.
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A bus aide on board witnessed and backed up the driver’s version of events. Detectives with the Major Crimes Unit later reviewed the bus’s internal audio and video footage. Investigators stated the video shows the driver identifying the weapon as soon as O’Valle arrived, and catches O’Valle holding an object that looks exactly like a firearm before pocketing it. Under Florida law, official school bus stops are legally considered an extension of school property.
The situation was first reported to School Resource Deputy Boyer at Citrus Springs Elementary School, who then flagged the agency’s Criminal Investigation Division.
“Anyone who threatens or brings harm toward a Citrus County school, its staff, or our children will face an immediate and uncompromising response from law enforcement,” Sheriff David Vincent said in a statement. “We will not allow anyone to endanger the safety of our students or the people who protect them.”
Following the investigation, the Ocala Police Department located O’Valle and arrested him on a Citrus County warrant. He is now facing felony charges, including possession of a firearm on school property and aggravated assault on a public transit employee.
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