On November 21, 2025, Miguel Angel Velasquez-Velasco, 23, a former Spotsylvania County Public Schools bus attendant, was sentenced to 201 years in prison — with 48 years to serve — for sexually assaulting multiple non-verbal, disabled children on his bus route. The Office of the Commonwealth’s Attorney under Ryan Mehaffey prosecuted the case and asked for a sentence covering the rest of the defendant’s natural life.
The Crime
Velasquez-Velasco assaulted multiple non-verbal, disabled children between the ages of 4 and 8 while working as an attendant on a Spotsylvania County school bus. The abuse was discovered on September 26, 2024. The children he targeted were among the most vulnerable riders in his care.
The Prosecution
Velasquez-Velasco pleaded guilty in September 2025 to 13 felony and misdemeanor counts, including aggravated sexual battery, taking indecent liberties with a child by a person in a custodial or supervisory relationship, and attempted sodomy. The Office of the Commonwealth’s Attorney asked for a sentence covering the rest of the defendant’s natural life.
The Sentence
The court sentenced Velasquez-Velasco to 201 years in prison, with 48 years to serve — a term that exceeded the high end of Virginia’s sentencing guidelines. The sentence reflected both the number of victims and the profound vulnerability of the children involved.
A Word from the Commonwealth’s Attorney
The abuse came to light because of the vigilance of the bus driver who reported it. Mehaffey publicly credited bus driver Tammy Lake for discovering and reporting the crime.
Commonwealth’s Attorney Ryan Mehaffey called bus driver Tammy Lake “a hero to whom we owe a debt of gratitude.”
Why It Matters
Crimes against non-verbal, disabled children are among the hardest to detect, because the youngest and most vulnerable victims cannot always tell an adult what happened to them. This case shows why the alertness of the people entrusted with children’s safety — and the willingness of prosecutors to seek the fullest measure of justice — matters so deeply.
The result stands as part of the Office of the Commonwealth’s Attorney’s continuing commitment to protecting the children of Spotsylvania County and holding those who prey on them fully accountable.
Commonwealth's Attorney Ryan Mehaffey called bus driver Tammy Lake “a hero to whom we owe a debt of gratitude.”