Shoeless man rides school bus to Stafford High School, arrested

STAFFORD COUNTY — A shoeless, 26-year-old man hitched a ride on a school bus to Stafford High School.

The bus picked up the man in the Lansberry Park neighborhood in the George Washington District, near Fredericksburg, on Thursday morning. In addition to having no shoes on his feet, the man also had no pack on his back, said Stafford sheriff’s office spokeswoman Amanda Vicinanzo.

After the bus arrived at the school, the man got off the bus and walked into the building alongside other students.

A statement from the Stafford County School Division notes:

The man entered the cafeteria and took food items without paying for it. The School Resource Officer was quickly notified by a staff member and this person was removed. He did not have a weapon and made no threatening comments or actions to students and staff.

After stealing a bakery item from the cafeteria, sheriff’s deputies were called to the school and arrested the man. He made no threats to students or school employees, said Vicinanzo.

He was taken to Mary Washington Hospital for treatment of mental illness. The sheriff’s office did not charge the man with a crime. His identity was not released.

Vicinanzo said the man sat next to students on a school bus who were also headed school. A Stafford County schools spokeswoman declined to answer questions about the incident but provided a written statement to the press. It made no mention of the fact the man rode a school bus to Stafford High School.

A portion of the statement read:

A 26-year-old man entered a school bus and building from the bus ramp with other students during morning arrival… It is important to note that the entire incident was handled swiftly… It is obvious that something has to change in our procedures and implemented immediately.

The incident occurred just four days into the new school year.