2 arrested in multiple bus battery thefts

IREDELL, N.C. — The Iredell County Sheriff's Office has arrested two suspects in the theft of 12 large bus batteries and connector switches, the value of which is estimated at $1,500.

Last Monday, the office received a report that six school buses at Celeste Henkel Elementary School had been broken into. During the course of the investigation, detectives were made aware of similar crimes that occurred in Statesville where school bus batteries were taken twice from the school bus garage at two other elementary schools, N.B. Mills Elementary and East Iredell Elementary.

Detectives were able to locate all of the batteries and connector switches that had been stolen from Celeste Henkel Elementary School. In addition, detectives were able to locate receipts where the suspects had sold batteries over the last several weeks on or near the time of the larcenies in Statesville. The suspects were identified as Keshia Crawford Williams and Jamal Dennis Mapp.

Williams and Mapp were taken into custody and were issued warrants by the Iredell County Sheriff's Office for five counts of breaking and entering into a motor vehicle and five counts of larceny. The Hickory Police Department has also issued warrants for Williams and Mapp for obtaining property by false pretense.

SBF previously reported school bus battery thefts in Marion County, S.C., and Portsmouth, Va.