Man accused of lighting fire on IndyGo bus faces federal charge
INDIANAPOLIS — The man accused of setting an IndyGo bus on fire last month is now facing federal legal trouble after being indicted by a grand jury.
Demarcus McCloud, 45, of Indianapolis, was indicted on charges of "arson of property and vehicle receiving federal funds," a news release from the US Attorney's Office of Southern Indiana stated.
The bus was engulfed in flames at a stop on the north side of Indianapolis near the intersection of 38th Street and Meridian Streets on the morning of April 24.
McCloud was found at a McDonald’s restaurant about a quarter mile from the scene and was holding two butane lighters and smelled like “ignitable liquid” when he was arrested, according to court documents.
There were four people on the bus, including the driver. The bus driver said all passengers evacuated through the middle door of the vehicle. Indianapolis Fire Department officials said two passengers were transported to Eskenazi Hospital to treat slight injuries afterward.
Surveillance cameras show McCloud boarding Bus 1993 at the downtown Julia Carson Transit Center on Washington Street carrying a jug of liquid and two butane lighters around 6:45 a.m.
About 20 minutes later, the video showed McCloud lighting a piece of paper on fire then blowing it out. He then moved to a seat closer to the exit and pretended to drink from the milk jug, according to an affidavit filed in Marion County in a separate arson case against McCloud.
The fire caused an estimated $2.1 million in damages to the 2018 BYD all-electric bus and another $25,000 in damage to the bus stop shelter.
If convicted, McCloud faces up to 40 years in federal prison.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Man accused of lighting fire on IndyGo bus faces federal charge
