Two men were taken into custody after an alleged school bus theft in Cotter, according to a report from the Baxter County Sheriff’s Office.
Corporal Conner Stanton responded to a report of a reckless driver operating a school bus on Harding Boulevard and later located the vehicle unoccupied in a gravel lot near U.S. Highway 62. A witness told officers two men had been driving the bus and left the area in a gray SUV.
A short time later, the SUV returned, and a man exited the vehicle, entered the bus and drove away. A traffic stop was conducted on Highway 62.
The driver was identified as 20-year-old Cameron Jon Rowray, who told authorities he had purchased the bus for $100 and did not have a valid driver’s license. A second individual, 22-year-old Hunter Williams, was also on scene and identified as the driver of the SUV.
According to the report, the owner of the bus arrived and stated the vehicle had been stolen from his property. Rowray was taken into custody on suspicion of theft of a motor vehicle. The case was turned over to the Gassville Police Department, as the incident occurred within its jurisdiction.
Authorities also noted the two men had been involved in a separate disturbance the night before at Cotter Big Spring Park. In that incident, both parties contacted 911 and provided differing accounts of a verbal dispute involving a female acquaintance. That report was forwarded to Cotter Police for follow-up.
Both were charged with theft of property less than $1,000 and booked into the Baxter County Detention Center. Williams is free on $515 bond. Rowray is still being held on $715 bond.
WebReadyTM Powered by WireReady® NSI