Home Community Man attacks Campo Elementary School bus driver with knife
Man attacks Campo Elementary School bus driver with knife
Neal Putnam
Bail of $750,000 was set May 31 for a man accused of trying to hijack a Campo Elementary School bus with two knives during a bizarre incident which his father said may be a result of methamphetamine use.
Matthew Douglas Barker, 36, pleaded not guilty to all charges, which also include attempted kidnapping during a carjacking, three counts of child endangerment, assault with a knife, assault on transportation personnel and elder abuse.
The incident occurred May 25 at 8:30 a.m. at an apartment complex near Jeb Stuart Road in Campo when the 78-year-old bus driver saw Barker running towards the bus that two of his children and a niece were passengers on.
Barker punched the driver in the face, and the grandmother of one student on the bus jumped on Barker as he reportedly tried to stab the driver.
One girl punched an emergency button and opened up a window in the back. All the children got off the bus without injury.
El Cajon Superior Court Judge Herbert Exarhos set a preliminary hearing for June 13. Deputy District Attorney Taren Brast said Barker faces a maximum sentence of 13 years in prison if he is convicted of all charges.
Barker's father, Doug Barker, made a statement to KGTV Channel 10 in which he said his son "wasn't in his right state of mind" at the time.
"The last two or three days, he was hallucinating, stating that the cartels were going to kill his kids," said Doug Barker. "In his mind, he was trying to protect his own. He was not there to harm any kids. I'd like to have that clear. I can only assume that it was methamphetamine, and I can't be sure on that."
Man arraigned in hospital
A man with a machete, who was shot by a La Mesa Police officer after he threw a folded-up knife at a 13-year-old girl, was arraigned May 29 in his hospital bed. El Cajon Superior Court Judge Jeff Fraser went to Sharp Memorial Hospital to arraign Bernard Eugene Graham II, 34, who was recovering after being shot in the abdomen.
Graham is charged with two counts of assault with a deadly weapon and two counts of resisting executive officers in the incident on May 22.
The girl was on her way to Parkway Middle School when she saw a man acting strangely. He threw a folded-up knife at her, and she ran to a sandwich shop near Fletcher Parkway and Amaya Drive where she called 911 around 8:50 a.m.
La Mesa Police officers responded and an officer shot Graham as he was holding a machete in his hands after he refused to follow their orders to drop it.
Fraser set a preliminary hearing for June 11, but it may be delayed if Graham is not medically ready for the hearing.
He remains in jail.
Psychiatrist accused of sexual misconduct
An El Cajon psychiatrist pleaded not guilty May 31 to charges of misdemeanor sexual battery upon five female patients in his care.
Leon Fajerman, 75, who also operated out of offices in Chula Vista and San Diego, posted $200,000 bond on May 25 following his arrest the day before.
The sexual battery charges are misdemeanors, but there is one felony charge of sexual exploitation by a psychotherapist.
Fajerman voluntarily surrendered his medical license after the Consumer Affairs department of the state Medical Board filed accusations alleging the misconduct.
Chula Vista Superior Court Judge Keri Katz ordered Fajerman to have no contact "whatsoever" with any of the alleged victims. A preliminary hearing was set for Aug. 15.
Deputy District Attorney Carolyn Matzger said her office would encourage any former patients of Fajerman to report inappropriate conduct to the DA's office or a police department.
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