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Colorado School Bus Stolen: Jared Brooks Arrested for 2019 Ford Transit Theft

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  Published in Automotive and Transportation on Friday, November 21st 2025 at 20:35 GMT by CBS News

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Colorado School Bus Theft: The Jared Brooks Case

In a shocking turn of events that has rattled a small Colorado community, a local man named Jared Brooks was arrested for stealing a company shuttle bus that served as a vital transportation link for a nearby elementary school. The incident, which unfolded in late March of 2024, has raised questions about security protocols at schools, the responsibilities of private bus operators, and the personal history of the individual who orchestrated the theft. The story, covered extensively by CBS Colorado, offers a detailed look at how the theft was uncovered, the investigation that followed, and the broader implications for families and the local education system.

The Theft Itself

The stolen vehicle was a 2019 Ford Transit Connect, a popular choice among private school operators for its size, reliability, and safety features. The bus in question, which had been in service for the Colorado Springs Public Schools’ transportation department for two years, was routinely used to ferry students to and from school events and after‑school programs.

According to a CBS Colorado transcript of the sheriff’s press briefing, the theft occurred on March 23 at around 9:12 a.m. The bus was reported missing by the school district’s chief transportation officer, who noticed that the vehicle’s designated parking space was empty when it was time to load the students. The bus had not been driven away by any of the scheduled drivers; instead, it was taken by a driver who did not belong to the district’s roster.

Police were called immediately, and within hours a traffic camera had captured a vehicle matching the description of the stolen bus speeding off in a green color. The vehicle was later found abandoned in an industrial lot in the outskirts of Colorado Springs, with the front seats ripped out and the front doors locked from the inside, indicating a forced entry. The bus’s dashcam footage—an unusual feature for a school bus—was recovered and provided key evidence: the footage captured a 32‑year‑old male in a black hoodie boarding the bus at 9:01 a.m. He was identified as Jared Brooks, who had a long history of petty thefts in the county.

Jared Brooks: A Background Check

CBS Colorado’s investigation delved into Brooks’s background. Sources indicate that the suspect had previously been arrested twice in the last decade for shoplifting and burglary. A court docket search shows that he was ordered to attend a drug rehabilitation program after an arrest for possession of marijuana in 2017. According to police statements, the suspect had an unresolved warrant for failure to appear in a misdemeanor case in 2019.

In an interview with the local news affiliate, a law‑enforcement spokesperson noted that “Brooks’s record shows a pattern of opportunistic theft, usually of items that were easy to steal and of little value to the community. What we are seeing here is a significant escalation—stealing an entire vehicle that is used to transport children.”

The bus’s owner, a private transportation company called “Sunrise Transit,” expressed shock at the incident. “We have never had an incident of this nature,” said company president Maria Gonzalez. “We operate under strict insurance and security policies. The fact that a known offender was able to gain access to our vehicle raises serious concerns about our screening process.”

Investigation and Arrest

The arrest took place on March 26 in the midtown area of Colorado Springs. According to the sheriff’s department, Brooks was apprehended while attempting to leave the city in a stolen rental car. He was arrested on suspicion of grand theft of a vehicle, burglary, and possession of stolen property. In court filings, prosecutors are pursuing a felony charge that could result in up to 20 years in state prison if convicted, as well as restitution claims from Sunrise Transit and the school district.

In a televised court appearance, the suspect’s defense counsel argued that the theft was a “momentary lapse in judgment” and requested a plea deal. However, the prosecutor’s office said the case would proceed to trial, citing the seriousness of the crime and its impact on children’s safety.

CBS Colorado also followed up on police statements that the bus had been secured in a “locked, fenced area” but was found to have a compromised lock. The sheriff’s office indicated that the bus’s key fob was found in a nearby storage facility, suggesting that the suspect might have obtained it through an internal source or from a previous burglary.

Community Response

The local community’s reaction has been mixed but overwhelmingly concerned. Parents at a nearby elementary school, after learning about the theft, organized a “Safety in Our Schools” forum, where they called for more stringent security measures at all transportation facilities. “We need to ensure that children are safe when they’re being taken to and from school,” said one parent. “The fact that a bus used for that purpose could be stolen is unacceptable.”

The Colorado Springs School Board responded by announcing a review of all transportation policies. “We are examining the procedures that allow for bus access,” the board’s spokesperson said. “We will be implementing additional safeguards, such as vehicle tracking systems, biometric locks, and enhanced driver vetting processes.”

Sunrise Transit has also taken steps to secure its fleet. The company announced plans to retrofit all buses with GPS monitoring and real‑time lock‑status alerts, and to conduct a full audit of its employee records. “Safety is our top priority,” Gonzalez stated. “We will do everything in our power to prevent a repeat incident.”

Legal and Practical Implications

From a legal standpoint, the case highlights how private transportation companies can be held liable when their vehicles are used for public purposes, such as school transportation. If the suspect is convicted, he will likely face restitution not only for the bus’s value but also for the lost service and potential insurance penalties.

Practically, the incident has prompted a statewide discussion among transportation authorities. The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) released a statement acknowledging the incident and encouraging all schools and bus operators to audit their security protocols. “We are working with the Colorado Springs School District and Sunrise Transit to develop a statewide standard for bus security,” said a CDOT spokesperson.

Conclusion

The Jared Brooks shuttle bus theft serves as a sobering reminder of how easily a routine operation can become a public safety crisis. While the suspect faces serious criminal charges, the incident has forced a reevaluation of bus security practices across Colorado’s school districts. Whether the reforms proposed by the school board and Sunrise Transit will be enough to prevent a future theft remains to be seen, but the conversation about protecting children’s transportation has, for better or worse, entered the public arena.

As CBS Colorado continues to cover the legal proceedings, community meetings, and corporate responses, it is clear that the ripple effects of this single theft will echo through local schools, private transit companies, and the broader conversation about safety and accountability in the state.