Suspect backed Into the Bus
APTOS—The Santa Cruz County Sheriff Department arrested a 35-year-old Man after an investigation revealed that he intentionally ran a small school bus off the road and then backed into it. Authorities arrested Jeffery David Bowie of Marina and charged him with assault with a deadly weapon and child cruelty with possible injury.
Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Deputies responded to Highway 1 northbound and Larkin Valley Road in Aptos on a report of a road rage incident. An investigation revealed that a Toyota Corolla intentionally cut in front of a small school bus and then rapidly slowed to 15 mph.
The School Bus had to respond quickly to avoid a collision. The Corolla then drove next to the bus and then suddenly attempted to turn into it. The driver narrowly avoided a collision by turning onto the breakdown lane on Highway 1. The Corolla then pulled in front of the school bus and he intentionally backed his car into it.
Neither the driver of the school bus nor its 3-year-old passenger sustained any physical injury. Deputies conducted thorough investigation, which revealed that Bowie was the driver of the Corolla that intentionally collided with the bus. On Thursday June 26, deputies made contact with Bowie and arrested him at his residence without incident.
“The suspect in this case is not talking so we have not determined what made him attack the school bus.” Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Deputy Ryan Kennedy said. Available records only show one prior arrest for Bowie, a December 2010 DUI with blood alcohol level over .08%.
Bowie was charged with assault with a deadly weapon and child cruelty with possible injury. His bail has been set at $25,000.00 dollars. According to a post on his Facebook page that day of his arrest, Jeff Bowie “was feeling regret.”
