A New Jersey school bus aide was arrested and charged for allegedly stealing lunch money and bagging lunches from dozens of preschool students.
Rosa Rios, who worked as a bus aide for the Sheppard Bus Service and was supposed to be supervising children on board, was caught on a surveillance camera rummaging through the students' backpacks and taking lunch and cash while they traveled to school in Millville, NJ, the Associated Press reported.
The 33-year-old was arrested on Friday and charged with robbery and theft of money and food from the 3- to 5-year-olds that she had been supervising in January and February.
"It looks like she was trying to take advantage of them," said police Detective Lt. Jody Farabella. "Sheppard did the best thing by firing her."
"It's also good for the district to let parents know things are OK."
On Feb. 4, a Millville Police Officer checked surveillance footage from a school bus after another bus driver complained that they were missing around $400, according to UK MailOnline.
Upon reviewing the footage, the investigator allegedly spotted Rios checking students' backpacks and stealing lunch money and bagged lunches from 29 kids while they were on board and on their way to school. The thefts took place between the beginning of January and the beginning of February, police said.
Following the incident, Millville Public Schools, which manages 10 schools in the area while using the bus service to transport children, has informed parents of the 33-year-old driver's arrest, NBC News reported.
Rios is also being investigated as a suspect in the $400 theft from the unidentified bus driver. The 7-year-employee has been sacked by Sheppard Bus Service and the company is working with authorities to obtain more surveillance footage.
Meanwhile, she is being held on $70,000 bail at the Cumberland County Jail and couldn't be reached for comment.
