Middle school student accused of biting classmate

A 13-year-old Maricopa Wells Middle School student was arrested last month on suspicion of sexually abusing a classmate.

According to police records, the victim, a 15-year-old girl, was bitten on the upper portion of her left breast after hugging the 13-year-old boy. The incident took place Dec. 16 in a school courtyard while the girl was walking to class.

Prior to his arrest, the boy denied biting the girl and claimed she was making the accusation to take his position on student council. According to police records, the arrest was made based on surveillance video footage, the girl’s account of what took place and a visible injury where the girl claimed she was bitten.

A police report states there were “two red marks” on the upper portion of her breast. Police documented the injury with photographs.

The girl informed police that about one month prior to the incident, the same boy had “pushed” her breast and she had asked him to stop, according to a report. A day later, the boy “slapped or shoved” her breast with his hand and she told him not to do it again.

On two other occasions following those incidents, the boy asked the girl for a hug. When the boy did not do anything inappropriate, she thought she and the boy “were cool.”

Some time prior to the boy allegedly biting the girl above the breast on Dec. 16, he was playing catch with another student and threw a football at the girl’s buttocks, a report states. The boy then made a comment about the girl’s buttocks.

The incident of alleged sexual abuse happened later when the girl came back to the area where the boy was playing catch. The girl told police other students present in the courtyard left for class before the incident took place. It’s unclear from the report if the two students were alone.

The girl told police the boy asked for a hug and during the embrace, the boy bit her left breast. When she asked the boy if he had just bit her, the boy laughed and went to class.

The girl later told a teacher what happened.

Police interviewed the boy a week later on Dec. 23. The boy told police the girl had been asking for a hug repeatedly on the day of the alleged sexual abuse. He told authorities the girl had asked him while they were in the courtyard to give her a hug. He denied ever biting her.

According to a police report, he suspected the girl was trying to get him in trouble to take his position on student council.

Police played the surveillance video for the boy and his parents, which, according to a report, shows the boy lowering his head into a position above her left breast.

The boy continued to deny biting the girl and told police a friend was a witness. When police spoke with the friend, the friend said he left for class and did not see what took place in the courtyard. The friend told police the girl had been asking the 13-year-old boy for hugs earlier that day and never saw him bite her.

Based on the evidence, police arrested the boy on suspicion of sexual abuse, harassment and assault.

Maricopa Unified School District Superintendent Steve Chestnut said the district is continuing “to work closely with the parents of both students” but could not comment on the incident.

He said student discipline is considered confidential and he would not comment on matters of suspension or expulsion.