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N.J. Mom Accused Of Assaulting Her Daughter's Alleged Bullies On Bus; Grandmother Also Charged

TOMS RIVER, N.J. (CBSNewYork) -- A New Jersey woman and her mother are facing assault and trespassing charges after allegedly boarding a school bus and slapping grade school boys.

Police said the two believed the students were picking on the mother's 9-year-old daughter.

Rebecca Sardoni, 28, told CBS 2's Christine Sloan on Monday her daughter was being physically abused, but that she never slapped the boys on the school bus. However, police said they have a different story from witnesses.

They said Sardoni walked onto the bus, cursed and then smacked two fourth grade boys she believed were bullying her daughter.

One of the boys ended up in the hospital.

"I believe he wore braces and that created some abrasions inside the mouth. Apparently, also, with the slap he hit his head on the window of the bus," Toms River schools superintendent Frank Roselli said.

The boy was resting at home Monday night.

Investigators said Sardoni's mother, Stephanie, also boarded the bus headed for the East Dover Elementary School, screaming as her daughter assaulted the boys.

"When the mother went to slap the boy she inadvertently raised her hand back and may have struck a third student, too. That's being investigated," Toms River Police Chief Michael Mastronardy said.

CBS 2 tried to get comment from Sardoni's mother, but she didn't answer her door. Jane Williams, a neighbor, claimed Sardoni had complained about the bullying for days.

"She would never hit anybody's kids. I know she doesn't even hit her own," Williams said.

A witness described the alleged incident on the bus to CBS 2's Sloan.

That witness also said Sardoni had the wrong boys. The superintendent said Sardoni had just filed a complaint a day before the incident and was told there would be an investigation.

"Unfortunately, this parent took matters into her own hands. What motivated it -- I don't know," superintendent Roselli said.

Sardoni has been charged with simple assault and making terroristic threats. She'll be able to tell her side of the story when she appears in court later in October.

Sardoni's mother was charged with trespassing. Police said they filed charges based on comments from a number of witnesses.

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