WILMINGTON, MASS. (WHDH) - Three youths were arrested after allegedly stealing a school van and driving around the Wilmington area Sunday, with police finding them after footage of their trip made it to social media, officials said.
Officers responding to reports of three youths running away from a Wilmington group home couldn’t find them, according to Wilmington Police Chief Joe Desmond. Later in the evening, police in neighboring towns were tracking a North Reading Transportation school van when the mother of one of the children saw a video on Snapchat and called the police, Desmond said.
“His mother just called, said he stole a school bus,” the 911 dispatcher reported.
“We believe that this suspect sent video of him in the stolen bus van,” Desmond said.
Police called the bus company and tracked the van after finding out the vehicles have GPS, Desmond said. Officers eventually found the van at the Woburn Commuter Rail station and arrested three youths running away from the scene.
“Obviously it’s dangerous. An accident could happen, the public could be hurt, not to mention them,” Desmond said.
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