PALMDALE – A 43-year-old man was arrested Thursday afternoon on suspicion of attempting to steal a transit bus and kidnap the passengers to go see his family, authorities said.
It happened around 3:10 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 28, at Palmdale Boulevard and 90th Street East, according to a news release by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.
The bus driver told deputies that the alleged thief, Richard Martin, was a passenger on the bus.
When the bus stopped and the driver got out of his seat, Martin allegedly ran to the front of the bus and jumped into the driver’s seat.
“The suspect tried hard to get the bus into gear and drive off, while yelling to the passengers he was going to take the bus with all of them in it,” the sheriff’s news release states.
The bus driver managed to disable the bus electronically to stop the theft.
Martin was still in the driver’s seat when deputies arrived, according to the department.
“The suspect admitted to the deputies that he was trying to steal the bus to go and visit his family,” sheriff’s officials said in the news release.
Martin was arrested, booked on suspicion of kidnapping and auto theft, and was being held in lieu of $100,000 bail.
Kathy M says
Guess the LLA Express wasn’t express enough for this guy.
Coral says
They need security guards on al busses now a days . Standing by the door all day. Just to make sure nothing happends like this or other crazy thing people pull on the Busses. That gose for everywhere and all.
Rankin says
This man needs a psych evaluation….
Denso says
We need a psych evaluation for living here!