By: Najla Alexander
Authorities in Passaic County announced the arrest of Todd Lewis, 57, of Wayne, and Sallyann Scala, 67, of Pompton Lakes.
Passaic County Prosecutor Camelia M. Valdes stated that on December 11, Mr. Lewis was charged by warrant, and Ms. Scala was charged by summons after an investigation conducted by the Pompton Lakes Police Department.
According to Passaic County officials, on October 31, the Pompton Lakes Police Department advised Special Victims Unit Detectives that a 9-year-old male student at Lenox Elementary School had disclosed that earlier that month, Mr. Lewis had placed masking tape around the back of the student’s neck and secured it to the student’s desk for approximately 40-50 minutes while Ms. Scala was present in the classroom and failed to intervene.
The investigation led to Mr. Lewis's arrest on one count of second-degree Endangering the Welfare of a Child and Ms. Scala's arrest on one count of fourth-degree Abuse and Neglect of Children, Pompton Lakes Police said.
Passaic County authorities said that Mr. Lewis’s sentencing exposure is five to ten years in New Jersey State Prison for a degree of Endangering the Welfare of a Child.
Ms. Scala’s sentencing exposed us to up to 18 months in New Jersey State Prison for fourth-degree Abuse and Neglect of Children, officials said.
Officials say on December 12, 2024, Mr. Lewis appeared for Central Judicial Processing proceedings and was released pending trial on monitoring, with special release conditions that he is prohibited from contact with any minor children, including the minor victim.
Pompton Lakes Police said that on December 11, members of the Pompton Lakes Police Department served Ms. Scala with the summons complaint.