Forgotten phone links suspect to bus mischief

A suspected firebug left his cellphone on the same OC Transpo bus he was trying to singe early Thursday in one of the worst getaways ever on the transit system.

According to information confirmed by Transpo, four male passengers boarded a Route 6 bus at the Rideau Centre near the end of the day’s bus service.

At 1:46 a.m., the bus driver smelled something burning and made an announcement over the public address system.

When the bus stopped at Bank and MacLaren streets, the four males fled the vehicle. The bus driver called in the damage caused by someone using a lighter. The top of the backrest seat had a small burn, the plastic insert window was melted in a spot and the back of two seats had burn marks.

One of the males who ran off left his cellphone on the bus.

By that time, special constables received information about the suspects. Two of the males matching the descriptions were seen at Billings Bridge station. Special constables arrested the duo.

According to Transpo, a man received a notice for pre-charge diversion for the mischief and a 17-yearold boy received a summons under the Provincial Offences Act. jwilling@postmedia.com twitter.com/JonathanWilling