Preschool teachers attacked by panhandler while walking toddlers in Bloomingdale

A man attacked two preschool teachers while they were taking about 30 toddlers for a walk in Northwest D.C. Monday.

The teachers from Petit Scholars in Bloomingdale said the man asked them for money and punched them when they said no.

One of the teachers said the attack put her in the hospital.

One teacher said the attack put her in the hospital with a broken nose.

“He punched me like three times on the left side of my face,” she said. “That’s when I kind of lost conscious, and I wasn’t sure what to do or what was going on, because I was just worried about the kids’ safety.”

Several neighbors and construction workers rushed to help, the day care said. Neighbor Alex Hilsabeck called 911.

“Seeing the fear on the women and the children’s faces as they were trying to scramble, everyone trying to protect the children, it was, it was disturbing,” he said.

The suspect, 38-year-old Russell Dunkley III, allegedly began touching himself right after the assault, D.C. police said.

“I no longer feel safe in being in my work, and anything can happen any time,” said the teacher who went to the hospital.

Day care owner LaShada Ham-Campbell said her entire staff is shaken up and several children expressed fear that the “bad man” could return.

“We love our babies, our infants and our toddlers, and literally, the teachers will put theirselves on the line to protect them,” Ham-Campbell said. “I just don’t want us to be in the position where we have to.”

Ward 5 Councilmember Zachary Parker said police told him Dunkley is being held in a mental health facility.

“We cannot afford to have him back out on the streets under any circumstances,” he said.

Dunkley is charged with assault, lewd acts and sexual abuse of a child, police said. He’s also accused of spitting on and hitting a police officer at a hospital where he was taken for treatment, according to the police report.