Police say couple stole school bus and tried to set it on fire

Two people in Anne Arundel County were detained on Oct. 7 after allegedly stealing a school bus. The school bus was reportedly taken from a parking lot in Crownsville around 5:30 a.m., and it was located in Davidsonville shortly before 9 a.m. by a police aviation unit. The bus was unoccupied when it was allegedly stolen.

A witness gave the description of two individuals walking in the roadway around 6:15 a.m., which matched the police’s description from the bus’s surveillance camera. Anne Arundel County police found the two individuals at a residence shortly afterwards and took them into custody for theft charges.

In addition to theft over $100,000 and first-degree burglary, both of the accused people were charged for destruction of property over $100,000 and attempted arson. When the bus was found, police say it was badly damaged, and the two people may have tried to set it on fire. The bus sustained much of the reported damage when the accused people allegedly broke windows out of it, collided with a BGE tower and then crashed in the forest. Police say the two people were intoxicated during the theft and had been looking for money to purchase cigarettes.

A person who has been charged with auto theft over $100,000 may want to speak with an attorney about possible defense strategies. Because a theft over $100,000 could lead to a long prison sentence, a lawyer may work to have the defendant’s charges reduced. A judge may be more willing to accept a plea deal if the defendant can show that they plan to seek treatment for a substance abuse issue that may have contributed to the offense.

Source: CBS Baltimore, “2 Arrested For Anne Aroundel County School Bus Theft”, October 07, 2014