NORCO: Special-needs bus passengers terrified by man claiming to have bomb
NORCO — Passengers aboard a Dial-A-Ride bus – including numerous adult, special-needs passengers – had to endure a scary encounter when a passenger reportedly claimed to have a bomb inside his backpack in Norco, Thursday afternoon, Feb. 1.
Deputies assigned to the Norco Sheriff’s Office responded to a 911 call reporting the incident shortly before 4 p.m. According to at least one 911 caller the man had a backpack with him and indicated the backpack contained a bomb. The man was reportedly wearing blue jeans and a black hoodie and had a black backpack with a blue, soft-sided, lunch pale.
A deputy stands guard near a man who allegedly claimed to have a bomb on a Dial A Ride bus carrying special needs passengers. John and Nancy Casper / Casper News photo
It was not immediately known if the man, who had reportedly ridden the bus before, was part of the group of special-needs adults or if he happened to board the bus by himself.
Within minutes, responding deputies located the bus traveling on the 3900 block of Sierra Avenue and conducted a high-risk traffic stop just north of 6th Street.
While deputies boarded the bus and detained the alleged suspect, nearly a dozen other people – including the bus driver – were safely removed the bus and were moved to a nearby Jack In The Box parking lot. According to witnesses at the scene, the man was cooperative with deputies and apprehended without incident.
Deputies confiscated and searched the backpack and man’s belongings before searching the bus for explosives or any other dangerous or suspicious devices. The outcome of their search was not immediately known and sheriff’s officials have released no information regarding the incident. However, Sheriff’s Bomb Squad members were not summoned to the scene to assist in the investigation or render any potentially dangerous devices safe.
After the man was taken into custody the shaken passengers provided statements to deputies before they were eventually allowed back on the bus to continue on towards their destinations. One person from the bus, who was too frightened to re-board the vehicle after the harrowing incident, was picked up from the fast food restaurant by a person believed to be a relative.
Although the man was taken to the Norco Sheriff’s Office, it was not immediately known if deputies arrested him or what charges might be filed against him. A jail record search yielded no additional information.
This is a developing story that will be updated as new information becomes available.
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Trevor Montgomery, who recently moved from Riverside County to Shasta County, runs Riverside County News Source and Shasta County News Source. Additionally, he writes for Riverside County based newspapers Valley News, The Valley Chronicle and Anza Valley Outlook as well as Bonsall/Fallbrook Village News in San Diego County.
Trevor spent 10 years in the U.S. Army as an Orthopedic Specialist before joining the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department in 1998. He was medically retired after losing his leg, breaking his back and suffering both spinal cord and brain injuries in an off-duty accident.
During his time with the sheriff’s department, Trevor worked at several different stations, including Robert Presley Detention Center, Southwest Station in Temecula, Hemet/Valle Vista Station, Ben Clark Public Safety Training Center and Lake Elsinore Station, along with other locations.
Trevor’s assignments included Corrections, Patrol, DUI Enforcement, Boat and Personal Water-Craft based Lake Patrol, Off-Road Vehicle Enforcement, Problem Oriented Policing Team and Personnel/Background Investigations. He finished his career while working as a Sex Crimes and Child Abuse Investigator and was a court-designated expert in child abuse and child sex-related crimes.
Trevor has been married for more than 27 years and was a foster parent to more than 60 children over 13 years. He is now an adoptive parent and has 13 children and 14 grandchildren.