Six Arrested After Brawl at WMS

A brawl at Woonsocket Middle School on Monday led to the arrest of two parents and four students after one mother drove her daughter to campus to fight a rival, police said.

The fight involving two 13-year-old girls occurred at 1:54 p.m. as students were dismissed from the school for the day, according to Police Lt. Timothy Paul. A feud between the two students had been brewing for several weeks, he said.

One of the girls was on school suspension and planned to go after school to beat up the other student, Paul said.

Witnesses told police the suspended girl’s mother, Ana Rivera, 44, of 241 Park Ave., drove up with her daughter in the car.

Paul said the mother of the other 13-year-old girl apparently found out about the threats to her daughter. Maribel Santiago, 34, of 75 Village Road, also arrived on school grounds “to see that her daughter doesn’t get into trouble,” Paul said.

At some point the two girls began to fight and Rivera’s daughter was “getting the worse of it,” Paul said.

While school officials attempted to break up the fight, Rivera allegedly jumped in the fray and assaulted Santiago’s daughter.

Santiago also got involved in the fight trying to help her daughter and at some point she allegedly punched Vice Principal Robert Picard in the face.

The fight was stopped before police arrived. Paul said seven police officers responded to the school.

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Police reports indicate that two other 13-year-old girls were arrested when they threatened one of the girls as officers took her into custody.

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