A school bus reported stolen in Knox County this morning was soon found in Anderson County, authorities said.
Bus 117 appears to have been stolen from its owner’s home on Prosser Road, Knoxville Police Department spokesman Darrell DeBusk said.
The female owner discovered the theft this morning and called KPD before 7 a.m., DeBusk said. KPD broadcast a description of the bus, including its license plate number, to the media and law enforcement officers.
About 1.5 hours later, the Anderson County Sheriff’s Department called, and authorities there said they had received a call that the bus was in Anderson County. The Sheriff’s Department sent deputies, and a KPD investigator was dispatched.
They confirmed that it was the stolen bus, talked to a few people, and towed the vehicle back to an impound lot, DeBusk said.
No one is in custody yet, but police have a “person of interest,” DeBusk said.
He said the stolen Knox County school bus runs routes for Beaumont and Norwood Elementary schools, and Northwest Middle School.
The bus was found in the southern part of Anderson County, DeBusk said.
He said nothing suspicious was found in the bus when it was recovered, and it was not damaged. Investigators are trying to determine how far it was driven and why it was taken.
DeBusk said he recalls a school bus that was stolen a few years ago by teenagers who took it on a joy ride.
He said the KPD could release more information later today.
Leave a Reply