Police: Man Steals Charter Bus Left Warming Up In Detroit

DETROIT (WWJ) - A 25-year-old man will undergo a mental evaluation after police say he stole a bus in Detroit, sideswiped a car and then fled to the suburbs.

State Police Lt. Michael Shaw told WWJ Newsradio 950's Sandra McNeil it all started when the suspect hopped into a Safeway charter bus after the vehicle was left running to warm up on a frigid Wednesday morning. The man sped away, Shaw said, sideswiping a car along I-75 near Warren around 20 minutes later.

Shaw said police used the bus's GPS system to locate the vehicle.

"We were able to get information about where the bus was headed and where it had actually stopped at, which was located in the city of Warren," Shaw said.

The bus was found abandoned along Hoover Road. The suspect wasn't inside, but was discovered hiding in an apartment complex after a witness pointed him out.  That's where he was taken into custody

"During the interview process it was determined that he was possibly suffering from some kind of mental illness," Shaw said.

The suspect remained hospitalized Wednesday. His name has not been released.

Shaw said it was an eventful day.

"It was! We had the snow and some of the slippery conditions that we've been dealing with all winter long, and then having this school bus running around adds some excitement to the day for sure," he said.