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Saunders of Port Saint Lucie, Florida has no known current address in Pennsylvania, yet when he was arrested he told the police that he had taken the bus after crashing the the BMW, apparently into the deer, in the early morning hours of April 4, 2023 "and had placed a deceased deer in the back of the bus and was going to drive the deer to his residence and use the deceased deer as fertilizer for his garden," as detailed in the release.
Lincoln Coach Lines reported bus 0877 as stolen from Abbottstown to Pennsylvania State Police in Gettysburg early in the morning and a broadcast was sent to local police to "Be On The Look Out" for it in York and Adams counties, according tot he release. At the time it was unclear if children were onboard.
Police in Carroll Township received a call about the bus in the Dillsburg Area around 7:10 AM. Patrol officers spotted a school bus flashing it's lights while driving through the parking lot of Giant Foods and Rite Aid.
"The bus exited the parking lot and turned west onto W. Siddonsburg Rd. to enter Route 15 North," that's when police confirmed it was the correct bus and followed it just north in the area of the Mechanicsburg/Bowmansdale exit on Route 15 and attempted a traffic stop, the police said.
At first the bus eventually pulled over near the junction of the PA Turnpike, but "nearly immediately pulled away and continued to drive North on Route 15, winding in and out of traffic lanes. After passing the exit for Lower Allen Dr. the bus exited the highway and drove over a berm, nearly overturning the bus. The bus continued to drive onto Gettysburg Rd. in Lower Allen Township where it turned into a nearby neighborhood," the police detailed in the release.
Saunders hopped out and fled on foot through a wooded area after leaving the bus behind. Bystanders provided a physical description saying he "was a Black male wearing a black sweatshirt." Officers pursued him as he "led them through parking lots and a busy traffic areas which had vehicles entering and exiting businesses. The male stripped his clothing as he fled," and was apprehend complete nude on a railroad track, the police said.
When police searched the bus the confirmed the dead deer was inside and thankfully no children were there.
State Police were able to confirm the BMW crash, as he had also led them on a chase earlier in the morning and was charged with trespass by motor vehicle, fleeing, evading, recklessly endangering another, driving without lights to avoid arrest, and disregarding a traffic lane in that case, court records show.
For the naked school bus situation he was charged with receiving stolen property, reckless driving, fleeing, and resisting arrest, police say and court records confirm.
State Police are investigating the theft of the bus.
He has been held on $100,000 in bail in the York County Prison and his preliminary hearing has been set before Magisterial District Judge Richard T. Thomas on April 24 at 11:30 a.m., according to his latest court docket.
He also has a pending trespass case from March 21, 2023, in Springettsbury Township and was out on $5,000 surety bond at the time of these incidents, as detailed in court documents.
He also has an active marijuana for personal use case in the same township from Dec. 29, 2022, shown in a court docket.
In 2022, he was charged with criminal mischief, but the charges were later withdrawn, at the time he was living in Steelton, Dauphin County, PA.
Investigations in the crashes on April 4, 2023 are ongoing.
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