A Michigan man already free on bond in a separate assault case is accused of stealing a decommissioned school bus, crashing it into a tree and ditch, and fleeing on foot, reported Mlive News.
Andre Weston, 21, of Carrollton Township, was charged May 11 with unlawfully driving a motor vehicle, a felony punishable by up to five years in prison.
Police said Weston left the adult foster care facility where he lives around 8 p.m. May 8 without authorization. Staff at the facility in the 800 block of Piper Drive reported him missing about 90 minutes later.
As officers headed to the facility, a call came in around 9:45 p.m. from a homeowner on Lincoln Street reporting that a school bus had become stuck in his front yard.
The homeowner reportedly told police he noticed the stolen school bus driving down the residential street late at night and thought it seemed unusual. The bus later began backing down the road before veering into the yard, striking a tree and becoming lodged in a ditch.
The driver then exited through the back door and ran toward Mapleridge Road. Officers later found Weston near Carrollton High School, about a half-mile from the crash site.
Alleged Stolen Bus Taken from Contractor
After being advised of his rights, Weston admitted to stealing the bus from the high school parking lot, police said via the news report. The stolen school bus had been decommissioned and recently purchased from the school district by contractor Dean Transportation. Investigators said the vehicle had been left unsecured with the keys inside.
A tow truck was required to remove the bus from the ditch, and police are reportedly reviewing surveillance footage to determine exactly when the bus was taken. Weston was arraigned Monday in Saginaw County District Court before Judge M. Randall Jurrens.
At the time of the incident, Weston was free on bond in a separate case filed in March charging him with two counts of assault with a dangerous weapon. Prosecutors allege he assaulted two female staff members at the foster care facility where he lives. A preliminary examination on the new charge is scheduled for May 26.
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