Accused robber steals $5,000 and crashes into school bus during chase, Georgia cops say
An accused armed robber led officers on a chase that ended with him sideswiping a school bus carrying several students, police in Georgia say.
The 25-year-old man was arrested Tuesday, Jan. 23, and charged with robbery and theft by deception, according to records from the Cobb County Sheriff’s Office.
Investigators from the Marietta Police Department said what started as a Facebook marketplace meetup quickly went awry, WAGA reported. A man and woman met the 25-year-old to buy a SUV he had advertised online, police said.
During the sale, the woman pulled out an envelope with $5,000 in cash, according to police. That’s when the suspect held a screwdriver to her neck, took the money and sped away in the SUV.
Police said the couple called 911 as they followed the suspect from a safe distance.
Officers responded soon after and tried to stop the accused thief, who led them on a short chase. During his getaway, he sideswiped a school bus on Cobb Parkway before running away on foot.
There were 18 students on board, though none were seriously injured, Sgt. Chuck McPhilamy told McClatchy News.
Cobb County Schools officials addressed the incident in a statement.
“On Tuesday afternoon, one of our buses was struck by another vehicle while transporting students home,” a district spokesperson said. “Fortunately, there were no serious injuries, and after a brief delay, students completed their trip home on another bus.”
The robbery suspect was arrested a short time later and booked into jail, police said.
He remained in custody at the Cobb County Adult Detention Center on a $22,220 bond as of Jan. 24, online records show.
Marietta is about 20 miles northwest of downtown Atlanta.
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