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SEARCHAccording to the Baton Rouge Police Department, a 37-year-old man shows up at his ex-girlfriend’s residence on Monday morning and boards her school bus with a firearm as she is about to start her route. The man allegedly demands at gunpoint that the woman drive to his house and then forces her inside, but he reportedly releases her as police arrive.
BATON ROUGE, La. — A school bus driver here was kidnapped at gunpoint by her ex-boyfriend on Monday morning but was later released unharmed, authorities said.
According to the Baton Rouge Police Department, Jock Jones, 37, showed up at his ex-girlfriend’s residence around 6:30 a.m. and boarded her school bus with a firearm as she was about to leave to start her route. There were no students on the bus at the time.
Police said Jones demanded that the school bus driver, whose name was not released, drive to his house as he held her at gunpoint. When they arrived at Jones’ residence, he allegedly forced the victim inside and held her against her will.
Baton Rouge officers quickly located the bus, which was parked in front of Jones’ house. The suspect reportedly released the school bus driver as police arrived.
According to the Baton Rouge Police Department, officers persuaded Jones to surrender without incident. There were no reported injuries.
Jones was arrested and later booked into the East Baton Rouge Parish Prison. He faces charges of aggravated kidnapping, illegal possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and carjacking.
The incident is reminiscent of last year’s Midland City, Ala., school bus hostage crisis, in which an armed man boarded Charles Poland Jr.’s school bus and fatally shot him before kidnapping a 5-year-old student, whom he held in a bunker for nearly a week.
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