Christopher Martinez allegedly stepped onto the bus and said he was driving to a mission in San Gabriel in Southern California.
A California man has been arrested for allegedly trying to commandeer a school bus full of terrified children to get to a mission because "Jesus is coming,” according to reports.
Forty-one students from Reagan Elementary School were on their way back from science camp in Oakhurst Monday when they encountered Christopher Martinez, who boarded the bus while it was at a rest stop, police told The Fresno Bee.
As several children were escorted to the restroom by their teacher, Martinez allegedly stepped onto the bus and said he was driving to a mission in San Gabriel in Southern California, the paper reported.
Martinez allegedly said he needed “to go to the mission … Jesus is coming!” before grabbing the female bus driver by the collar to pull her from the driver’s seat.
But the driver was able to pull the keys from the ignition, which set off an alarm and caused the bus' lights to flash. The driver shouted at Martinez to get off the bus and said he wasn’t taking it anywhere, according to the Bee. She was joined by the teacher, who also told Martinez to leave.
A gas station clerk then got involved and reportedly asked Martinez in a calm voice to leave the bus, police said.
Martinez, who had paced up and down the aisle during the incident, listened to the gas station clerk and exited the bus, the paper reported. Police arrived on the scene as Martinez was walking to the store and took him into custody.
Martinez is being held on $27,500 at the Fresno jail on suspicion of attempted carjacking and attempted kidnapping, both felonies.
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