Palm Harbor Man Accused of Punching and Swearing at School Bus Driver

A Palm Harbor man faces a felony charge after he allegedly punched a Pinellas County School bus driver who was trying to protect a special needs child.

Frank Dom Bottari, 51, is charged with felony battery on a school board employee in connection with the incident.

An arrest affidavit obtained by Palm Harbor Patch says that on the afternoon of Monday, April 1, Bottari became confrontational with the bus driver when the driver asked Bottari to control his loose dogs. The driver was trying to help unload a special needs child from the school bus, which was near Bottari's home on Knoll Avenue North.

"Bottari became belligerent and began cussing," then used a closed fist to push the bus driver and said he would rip him apart, according to the affidavit.

Bottari was arrested the following evening and booked into the Pinellas County Jail, where he remained as of Wednesday with bond set at $50,000.

This was not Bottari's first run in with the law when it comes to his dogs. In April of 2009, he was arrested on three charges of failure to appear in court; one for a dog at large, another for dog without a license and another charge for refusing to sign. 

• Subscribe to the Palm Harbor Patch newsletter to have local news delivered to your email each day. Sign up here.