‘Absolute chaos’ at Saugus High School

SAUGUS – A sleepover at Saugus High School turned into a night of mayhem on Thursday as one student was arrested and another was accidentally struck by a police cruiser.”It was absolute chaos at the high school,” said senior Joey Aversa. “Things got way out of hand last night. Everyone was hanging out having a good time, then we saw some of the juniors on top of the school and they started throwing water balloons and stuff. Then the next thing you know people started throwing like eggs and trash.”Aversa said the junior students showed up in five cars, and then seniors started throwing rocks.”Windows were smashed, one girl’s car got smashed up,” said Aversa. “Kids were throwing rocks, bottles. It was pretty much like a junior/senior war. Three cars got destroyed. For like an hour it was all out madness at the high school.”Police arrested senior Ismael Minaya, of 15 Wolcott Road, and charged him with malicious damage to a motor vehicle, according to the Saugus Police log.When police arrived at around 11:30 p.m., senior Janine Bourque said she was hit by a police cruiser as she and a friend were walking to a car in the middle of the parking lot to leave.”My back was toward the whole group of kids and from behind I guess I got hit,” she said. “I don’t remember much of it because I think I blacked out a little bit. I got hit from behind and it lifted me and threw me. I landed on the hood and dropped down to the ground.”Bourque said she remembers hitting her chin on the ground, but initially refused medical assistance from police.”I remember getting up and asking what he was doing,” she said. “I said, ‘Why did you just hit me with your car? Did you not see me?’ I was the only one standing in the parking lot at that time. I was so shocked at the time and he said, ‘Let me call you an ambulance. What can I do for you?'”Bourque said she didn’t feel any pain at first, but when she got into her friend’s car she “really felt it” and went to the emergency room. Bourque said her back, chin and hands are cut up and has some bruises but no broken bones or internal injuries.”The juniors came and decided to ruin it, and a bunch of kids attacked a car and shattered the windshield,” said Bourque. “My father spoke with police this morning ? I’m still kind of in shock ? It made my senior year more memorable. I don’t want an apology ? They all sped into the parking lot. How fast he was going when he hit me I have no idea, but he was going pretty fast.”Assistant Saugus Police Chief Ronald Giorgetti, however, said the officer was going at a “very, very low rate of speed.””Possibly at 1 mile per hour,” he said. “She stepped in front of the car, was struck, she fell to the ground. She lost her balance. She declined any medical aid, and there’s a report on file. She denied any treatment because the injuries were superficial. She had a small scratch on her chin because she lost her balance.”Giorgetti said every year the senior class camps out overnight at the high school on the last day of school. While he said it’s not officially a school sanctioned event, students are allowed to camp there as a tradition. Approximately 50 to 75 seniors were at Thursday night’s event. There are about 110 students in the senior class.”The seniors get tents and everything and sleep outside the school, and apparently some juniors found out about it and came down,” said Giorgetti. “There were some words back and forth, and then essentially the gentleman that was arrested caused damage to one of the motor vehicles, and he was arrested for that. Right now it appears there wasn’t any wrongdoing on the officer’s part.”Giorgetti also noted the weather was “somewhat inclement” and there was a large group of students being dispersed.”Apparently she didn’t see him and he didn’t see her,” said Giorgetti.Giorgetti said police responded to the high school on three separate occasions Thursday night and early Friday morning, but noted it’s the first time he recalls “any sort of incident”