Teen steals school bus after getting out of jail

Eighteen-year-old Jonathan Cole Collins is released from jail on a misdemeanor marijuana charge, and he steals the bus during his walk home. Detectives confront him the next day after he’s identified in footage on the bus’ surveillance camera, and he admits the theft.

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March 4, 2013

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FORT OGLETHORPE, Ga. — An 18-year-old is facing a felony theft charge for stealing a school bus to drive himself home after being released from jail, WRCB reports.

Jonathan Cole Collins had gotten out of the Catoosa County Jail on a misdemeanor marijuana charge, and he didn't have a ride, so he started to walk the approximately 10-mile journey home. Along the way, he saw a school bus parked at a high school. The driver had hidden the key for a substitute to find in the morning, and Collins found it and started the bus, which activated its onboard security camera.

Collins drove for about 20 minutes before abandoning the bus. Detectives confronted him about it the next day after finding the bus and identifying him in the video footage. Collins admitted to stealing the bus. "He said, 'I just didn't want to walk anymore and decided to drive the bus,'" Fort Oglethorpe Detective James Leamon told WRCB.

To read the full story, click here.

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Topics:Georgia school bus security Safety

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