North Carolina man allegedly stole school bus, tried fleeing with officer on board

FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. (TCD) -- A 35-year-old man was arrested Thursday morning for allegedly stealing a school bus and driving off — even after a police officer came aboard.

According to a press release from Cumberland County Sheriff Ennis Wright, deputies responded to 71st High School about a disturbance on a school bus at 6:05 a.m. The sheriff said Gilbert Lamont McArthur got onto three different school buses as employees were warming up the vehicles. When McArthur entered bus 423, the driver reportedly confronted him and then ran away from the bus, worried McArthur was armed.

According to Wright, McArthur sped off on bus 423. Cumberland County Sheriff’s deputies and Fayetteville Police officers found the bus and tried to force McArthur to pull over.

Wright said in the press release that McArthur eventually stopped and "at one point, a Fayetteville Police Officer boarded the bus to arrest the driver. The driver refused to surrender and drove away with the Fayetteville City Officer on the bus."

According to Wright, the bus later made a second stop at the intersection of Skibo and Redtip roads, where McArthur was arrested. McArthur faces multiple charges, including common law robbery, second-degree kidnapping, and possession of stolen goods.

According to WRAL-TV, McArthur was possibly suffering from a mental health crisis.

The superintendent of the Cumberland County Schools told WRAL that no students were involved, and that the bus driver is okay.

McArthur remains at the Cumberland County Detention Center on $30,000 bond and is scheduled to appear in court on Friday, Dec. 10.

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