In a disturbing incident caught on video, a Florida school bus aide faces a felony charge of child abuse for allegedly assaulting a 9-year-old nonverbal autistic boy while he was secured in his seat. The arrest followed swiftly after the child’s mother raised concerns about potential abuse.

Surveillance footage captured inside of a Hillsborough County Public Schools bus shows James Savage, 79, allegedly attacking the boy “intentionally and willfully” on Friday afternoon, according to an arrest affidavit.

Authorities detained the suspect, identified as Savage, within three hours of the mother reporting her suspicions to the authorities. She believed her son, who attends an elementary school in Ruskin, had been struck by the aide on the school bus. The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office confirmed the arrest in a press release.

The affidavit reveals shocking details, alleging that Savage, while in a caregiving position, deliberately slapped the boy’s left hand. He then reportedly removed his cap and hit the child on the left side of his face. This occurred while the young boy was restrained in his bus seat, unable to defend himself.

Officers noted “red linear markings” on the child’s hand, and the bus video is said to support the mother’s claims. The affidavit describes the actions as “intentional, malicious, and done against the victim’s will,” emphasizing the boy’s vulnerability due to his nonverbal, autistic condition and his age.

Savage was apprehended after a prompt investigation and is now facing a felony child abuse charge. Prosecutors are advocating for him to be held without bail, and a pretrial detention hearing is set for Tuesday.

“Based on the defendant’s past and present patterns of behavior … no conditions of release or bail will reasonably protect the community from risk of physical harm, ensure the presence of the defendant at trial, or assure the integrity of the judicial process,” a motion for pretrial detention reads.

In a statement about Savage’s arrest, Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister said, “Any form of abuse against a child is completely unacceptable. Children deserve to feel safe at all times, especially in the care of those entrusted with their well-being. Protecting our most vulnerable is a responsibility we will never take lightly, and those who violate that trust will face the consequences.”