Police said the boy suffered facial injuries in the morning assault and was taken to a hospital for treatment.
HENRICO, Va. — A 47-year-old woman has been charged with assault and battery after authorities said a 9-year-old boy was attacked while waiting for his school bus in Henrico County, leaving him with facial injuries that required hospital treatment.
The assault happened around 7:30 a.m. Oct. 16 at the intersection of Blue Stone Drive and Cool Lane, where students were waiting for a bus to Ratcliffe Elementary School, according to police and school officials. Authorities identified the woman as Marie Tulette Marsh of Henrico. Police said the boy’s injuries were not life-threatening, and local reports said he was expected to recover.
Ratcliffe Elementary Principal Joy Reed told families that a woman described as a stranger approached students at the bus stop and physically assaulted one child as the school bus was arriving. Police were called, Marsh was taken into custody, and the injured student was transported to a hospital. School officials have not identified the child because of privacy concerns.
A nearby resident told local television reporters that he heard the boy screaming for help and looked outside to see a woman striking the child. The resident said he ran outside, confronted the woman and helped the boy to safety before calling 911. Police later said officers found the child with visible injuries to his face.
Another resident, Shante Kearney, told WTVR that she passed the area after the assault and saw the boy with police officers. She said his injuries initially made her fear that he had been struck by a vehicle. Authorities have released no detailed medical information beyond saying that his injuries were not considered life-threatening.
Police arrested Marsh and charged her with misdemeanor assault and battery. Court documents cited by local news outlets show that she appeared before a judge after her arrest and was being held without bond when the case was reported. Authorities have not publicly announced a motive, and no information released by police has established a prior relationship between Marsh and the boy.
School officials described the attack as an isolated incident. Reed said counselors, teachers and administrators were working with students who ride the bus and would monitor them for signs of anxiety or distress following the assault. She also said she planned to visit the bus stop during the following week to reassure students and monitor conditions there.
WTVR reported that Reed and a Henrico police officer were at the bus stop as students boarded their bus on the Tuesday after the attack. Some people in the neighborhood told local reporters that Marsh had been seen in the area before, but police have not said why she was at the bus stop on the morning of the alleged assault. A police spokesperson declined to provide information about any earlier contacts officers may have had with Marsh.
Local reporting also indicated that Marsh was accused of attacking a child she did not know. Authorities have not released information explaining why the boy was allegedly targeted, and police had not announced additional charges as of the latest reports. The investigation remained active while the criminal case moved through the court system.
Online court records cited by local news organizations show that Marsh is scheduled for a hearing Dec. 14. No plea or defense attorney had been publicly identified in the reports reviewed, and authorities had not released a further update on the boy’s condition or a possible motive.
Author note: Last updated October 23, 2026.