19-year-Old Charged with Pointing Loaded Gun at School bus Carrying Special Needs Students in Alleged 'Road Rage'

The defendant had a prior felony conviction at the time of the offense

February 5, 2026

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. – Westchester County District Attorney Susan Cacace announced that a Mahopac teen was arraigned on multiple felonies and other charges Thursday morning for allegedly pointing a loaded gun at a school bus carrying special needs students as part of an alleged road rage incident.

Michael Alarcon, 19, of Mahopac, was charged with one count of Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Second Degree, a class C felony, two counts of Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Third Degree, a class D felony, one count of Menacing in the Second Degree, a class A misdemeanor, and three counts of Endangering the Welfare of a Child, a class A misdemeanor.

He pleaded not guilty to the misdemeanor charges and did not enter a plea as to the felony charges, as the case was arraigned in local court. Justice Mark Rubeo, of Mount Pleasant Justice Court, set bail at $45,000 cash/$75,000 bond/$175,000 partially secured bond.

Alarcon is due back in court on Feb. 19.

DA Cacace said: “Any parent who puts their child on a school bus in the morning should not have to hold their breath until they return home. What happened on the Taconic Wednesday morning, as alleged, could have easily become every parent’s worst nightmare. Loaded guns and uncontrolled road rage have absolutely no place on our public highways, let alone near school buses carrying our most precious resource.”

“Due in large part to the composure of the bus driver, these young students thankfully made it out physically unharmed. I commend him for his quick thinking in navigating these students to safety.

“I am also grateful to New York State Police, Troop K for apprehending the defendant in conjunction with our D.A.S.H. partners. Road rage is a menace to public safety, and my office will treat it accordingly.”

On Wednesday, Feb. 4, at approximately 8:30 a.m., a school bus driver operating a yellow school bus was headed southbound on the Taconic State Parkway carrying a bus monitor and three students whom he had picked up in the Peekskill area, according to the bus driver’s supporting deposition that was filed with the Mount Pleasant Justice Court.

The three students, two three-year-olds and one four-year-old, have special needs and were being transported to a school in Scarsdale.

After the school bus driver made a lane change from the left to the center lane, a 2025 Toyota Corolla pulled up alongside the bus in the left lane, the deposition alleges. The operator of the Toyota is then accused of taking a handgun out of his waistband and pointing it at the bus driver. The operator also turned on a green laser and pointed it at the bus driver, according to the deposition.

The bus driver quickly headed for the nearest exit on the Taconic as the Toyota drove away. State Police troopers later apprehended the defendant and recovered a loaded Walther P22 .22 caliber handgun with a large-capacity magazine. There was a loaded round in the chamber and multiple rounds of ammunition in the magazine.

The case was investigated by the New York State Police.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Alexandra Petrullo, of the Northern Westchester Branch.

The troopers who later apprehended the defendant were assisted by members of D.A.S.H., a joint initiative from the Cacace administration and the New York State Police, Troop K to step up enforcement against reckless driving on Westchester’s highways, beginning with the Sprain Brook Parkway and I-684. For more on this initiative, please visit our website at: https://www.westchesterda.net/february-2026/da-cacace-and-n-y-s-p-announce-formation-of-new-traffic-safety-initiative.