Posted 10:38 pm Thursday, December 20, 2012
Send to Kindle
Man accused of attempting to steal school bus faces additional charges
Staff Reports
A man accused of attempting to drive away with a school bus with children on board in Palestine on Tuesday morning now faces additional charges.
Palestine police arrested 30-year-old Cedric Brenard Lewis and originally charged him with aggravated kidnapping, a first-degree felony, after officials said he climbed aboard a school bus with children inside and attempted to drive away.
Suzanne Iven, Palestine ISD's assistant superintendent, said the incident happened shortly before 8 a.m. at the Timbercrest Apartments, 1020 Sugar Lane.
Ms. Iven said the driver left the bus to tend to two students, and while he was outside, Lewis allegedly ran into the bus and began pushing on the accelerator. The bus did not move because it was in park and the driver and some bystanders were able to remove Lewis and hold him until police arrived.
On Wednesday, Lewis also was charged with unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, a third degree felony; public intoxication, a class C misdemeanor; disrupting activities, public or private schools, a class B misdemeanor; resisting arrest, a class B misdemeanor and criminal mischief, a class B misdemeanor.
Officials with the jail said he also is being held on several unpaid tickets out of Galveston and Houston counties, and his total bond is more than $1.5 million.
