Man Charged After 8 Stolen School Buses Found Scrapped

The owner of an auto company where eight stolen school buses were found scrapped was charged for illegal possession of auto titles, police said.

The buses were stolen from the Sunrise Bus company yard on the 10000 block of South Torrence Avenue and taken to Gonzalez Auto, at 3405 S Lawndale Ave.

Three people were initially being questioned Friday in connection with the theft, but 44-year-old Sergio Quintero of the 2500 block of South Drake Avenue was charged Sunday with felony possession of title or registration without assignment. 

An employee of a nearby company said the scrap yard was open 24 hours a day and said she never really knew what was going on inside.

"The people there have always seemed a little shady, I guess. Nothing ever seemed really legit about them," said Jessica Roque.

Officers said the buses were tracked to the yard via GPS devices on board the vehicles.

The price of scrap metal has been on the rise. One company said they pay roughly $250 per ton. The school buses weighed up to 10 tons each.
 

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