Crime & Safety

Stolen School Bus from Orange Ends Up in Maplewood

Three teenage boys from Newark, Orange and East Orange allegedly stole a bus and drove it to Maplewood where they broke into a business.

Maplewood police responding to two separate incidents on Sunday, April 17, soon found the two calls were related.

First, police patrols responded to an activated alarm at on Baker Street at 6:30 a.m. Police found an open front door and located a 14-year-old boy from East Orange hiding in the parking lot. 

At the same time, a female witness called to report a suspicious school bus parked on Mountain Avenue near Ridgewood Road with two boys standing near the door.  Officers located the bus and two 15-year-old boys, one from Newark and one from Orange, standing alongside of it. 

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According to Capt. Paul Conlon of the Maplewood Police Department, "During the investigation it was determined that the bus had recently been stolen from a storage yard in Orange and the three juveniles had ridden in the bus to Maplewood."

Based on property the three teenagers had in their possession, policed linked them to the burglary at Toomeys.

Find out what's happening in Maplewoodwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

All three young men were taken into custody and initially charged with Receiving Stolen Property. Detectives are still investigating the case and further charges are expected. Later Sunday morning, the three teenagers — who are legally juveniles — were released and turned over to their parents.


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