GPS tracking device helps speedy recovery of stolen school bus, San Antonio Police say

SAINT ANTONIO – A GPS tracking device played a key role in helping San Antonio police quickly locate a stolen school bus early Thursday morning.

SAPD officers assisted East Central Independent School District Police when they found the bus after 5:30am, abandoned in a supermarket car park on Ingram Road, near Callaghan Road.

RELATED: East Central ISD school bus stolen, found abandoned across town

Officials at the scene told KSAT 12 News that school district police used a GPS tracking device to locate the vehicle, which was stolen overnight.

San Antonio police assisted ECISD officers when they found the stolen school bus in a supermarket parking lot west of the city. (KSAT 12 messages)

They said they got on the bus to look for possible weapons or people on it, but found nothing.

In a statement from the school district, a spokesman confirmed that the theft took place in a transportation hub parking lot.

He said no one was hurt and the crime did not affect morning school bus service.

A source told KSAT 12 News that the theft happened at the transport center in St Hedwig and the crooks got into the parking lot by picking the lock on a gate.

A giant bolt cutter, apparently a tool used in the theft, was left on the school bus. (KSAT 12 messages)

A giant bolt cutter was seen on the floor of the bus after it was recovered.

School police also appeared to be conducting an investigation at this St Hedwig site later in the morning.

It is unclear whether the crime was caught by surveillance cameras.

The school district’s statement said the case is still under investigation.

Read the full statement here:

“The East Central Independent School District (ECISD) is sorry to report that one of our buses was stolen from our transit hub overnight. We can confirm that no one was injured at any time during this incident and that none of our bus routes are affected this morning. Due to an ongoing investigation we are unable to provide specifics at this time but we can confirm that the suspect’s vehicle was stuck at the interchange and our interchange was broken into. One of our buses was stolen. We are working closely with the San Antonio Police Department, the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office and the East Central Police Department to investigate this matter. We are relieved to report that the stolen bus has been recovered thanks to the swift and coordinated efforts of the law enforcement agencies involved. We are grateful for their tireless efforts to ensure the safety of our students is our top priority. ECISD would like to reassure our community that we take this incident very seriously and are taking all necessary steps to ensure our transit hub is safe. We recognize the importance of our buses in the safe transportation of our students to and from school and we are committed to doing everything in our power to ensure they remain safe and secure. We will post more updates once the investigation is complete. In the meantime, we ask for the community’s cooperation and support as we work to ensure the safety of our students and staff.”

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