PENNSYLVANIA (LOOTPRESS) – On April 4, 2023, at around 7:10 AM, Officers received a phone call at the Carroll Township Police Station regarding a stolen school bus that had been observed in the Dillsburg Area.
The school bus had been reported stolen in Abbottstown, PA. The stolen school bus had been reported to the Gettysburg PA State Police earlier in the morning and a “Be On The Lookout” had been broadcast to agencies with special attention to York and Adams County. Information had been provided that the bus had “Lincoln Coachlines” written on the side and had a bus number of 0877. Officers on patrol observed a school bus driving through the Giant Foods and Rite Aid parking lot.
As the bus was driving, Officers observed that the lights on the bus were turning on and off intermittently. The bus exited the parking lot and turned west onto W. Siddonsburg Rd. to enter Route 15 North. As the vehicle turned onto Route 15 North, Officers were able to view the side of the bus and the words “Lincoln Coach lines” written on the side. As the bus completed the turn, Officers could see large numbers on the back of the bus that read 0877. Officers caught up to the bus driving North in the area of the Mechanicsburg/Bowmansdale exit on Route 15.
Officers attempted to conduct a traffic stop on the school bus, and the bus eventually pulled over near the junction of the PA Turnpike. The bus nearly immediately pulled away and continued to drive North on Route 15, winding in and out of traffic lanes. After passing the exit for Lower Allen Dr., the bus exited the highway and drove over a berm, nearly overturning the bus.
The bus continued to drive onto Gettysburg Rd. in Lower Allen Township, where it turned into a nearby neighborhood. The driver of the bus fled on foot through a wooded area after leaving the bus behind. Nearby bystanders provided a physical description of the male, and we were informed that the actor was a black male wearing a black sweatshirt.
While searching the area of nearby railroad tracks with Lower Allen Officers, a male ran from police and was apprehended a short time later. As the male fled from Police, he led them through parking lots and busy traffic areas which had vehicles entering and exiting businesses.
The male stripped his clothing as he fled from Police and, after being apprehended in the nude, admitted to taking the bus earlier in the day after crashing a BMW vehicle.
The defendant was positively identified as Tony Saunders. Saunders said that he had taken the vehicle and placed a deceased deer in the back of the bus and was going to drive the deer to his residence and use the deceased deer as fertilizer for his garden. Saunders was transported to York Central Booking to be arraigned on criminal charges.
Charges (1) count 3733 Fleeing or Attempting to Elude Officer (F3) (1) count 3925 (a) Receiving Stolen Property (F3) (18) 5104 Resisting Arrest or Other Law Enforcement (M2) (75)3736 Reckless Driving
