Maryland State Police Arrest Woman For Stealing Charter Bus

(PERRYVILLE, Md.) — Maryland State troopers arrested a Virginia woman Tuesday for stealing a charter bus from a company she worked for.

The suspect, Mellat Zerihun Kassa, 24, was served a warrant from Prince William County (Virginia) Police for the stolen bus.

Shortly after 7:45 p.m. Tuesday, MDTA police contacted the Maryland State Police JFK Highway Barrack in reference to a stolen green and white Omni charter bus. The bus was reported stolen by its company Potomac & Rappahannock Transportation, located in Woodbridge, Virginia. The bus was being tracked by the company utilizing GPS.

The bus company told police the bus was driven by Kassa, who had not been answering her phone or the radio. Kassa was an employee of the bus company, and for unknown reasons, decided to ignore her route, not pick up any passengers and drive through Maryland.

The company told police Kassa may be in distress and was the sole occupant on the bus. Troopers located the bus on I-95 North in Harford County. A trooper then activated his emergency equipment in an attempt to make a traffic stop on the bus.

According to investigators, the bus changed lanes, accelerated and drove away. Troopers continued to follow the bus as it traveled north on I-95. Throughout the pursuit, the bus changed from lane to lane to pass slower moving traffic.

Kassa continued to drive the bus until she reached the toll plaza for the Tidings Memorial Bridge. She stopped as she was in a lane designed only for passenger vehicles. Troopers ordered Kassa out of the bus and she complied.

Kassa was arrested without incident. No one was injured and no vehicles were damaged as a result of the incident.

Kassa is being held without bond at the Harford County Detention Center.

The investigation continues.