SARASOTA Co., Fla. — A brawl between two moms at a school bus stop landed both in the hospital.
One of those mothers was Tiffani Cruz. She was recently released from the hospital.
“It was self-defense over an incident that made no sense," she said.
While North Port Police say it started over an argument about parenting, Cruz claims she and the other mother have had issues before. She says two weeks ago, she confronted that mom for yelling at another child at the bus stop. But Tuesday morning, their verbal arguments went too far.
“My heart was racing!” said Eithan Cruz, who is of no relation to Tiffani Cruz. The child and his brother, Bairon Velazquez, witnessed the fight from the back window of their school bus.
“Her face was bleeding and stuff,” Eithan said.
“I looked away," Bairon said..
Cruz admits she hit the other mom with her mug. Police have not identified the other woman.
“I went to run and that’s when she picked up the glass, ran at me and stabbed me twice in my arm, once at my wrist and in back of my shoulder," Cruz said.
Both parents ended up in the hospital, but paramedics airlifted the other woman to the hospital with a serious cut to her throat.
“She got this close to my face nudged me with her nose and when she nudged me with her nose— it was her fist going up so my fist was going up," Cruz said when asked why she felt she acted in self-defense.
Sarasota County Schools is offering counselors after several dozen elementary-aged students witnessed the violent fight.
“I regret the whole incident, there’s no reason it should have happened. We’re adults," Cruz said.
Investigators say charges are pending.
