Police: Bus Aide Stabs Woman, Holds Teen Hostage At Watson Institute In Sewickley
By: KDKA-TV's Erika Stanish
SEWICKLEY TOWNSHIP, Pa. (KDKA) - A bus aide is accused of stabbing a speech pathologist in the back and holding a 14-year-old boy hostage at the Watson Institute's Education Center in Sewickley.
Leet Township police said they were called to the scene along with multiple other surrounding agencies Wednesday morning for a situation involving a knife and a hostage.
The suspect, Rochelle Pinkle, was taken into custody and is facing a long list of charges, including aggravated assault and recklessly endangering another person.
According to the criminal complaint, Pinkle stabbed the speech pathologist in the upper back twice while inside the school building before making her way to a school van with the student. There, according to the criminal complaint, Pinkle held the 14-year-old student hostage with a knife.
Police safely rescued the boy and used a stun gun on Pinkle after she refused to surrender, the complaint says.
The victim is recovering at the hospital, and the teen is at home with his parents, police said.
A spokesperson at the Watson Institute said the school went on a brief lockdown.
"We did have a staff injury this morning. It was during routine drop-off at the school with buses, and at that time there was a staff injury and immediately we went into our standard lockdown protocols," said Chief Development Officer Kara Mostowy.
No one else was injured.
"What I would say to parents is your child is safe. Our staff acted exactly as taught," said Mostowy.