A teenager from Canada has been charged with arson after allegedly setting a charter bus on fire. This bus belonged to the Kane County Cougars, an independent professional baseball team from the United States. The team was on a road trip in Winnipeg, Canada, for games against the Winnipeg Goldeyes.
On May 21, authorities were alerted to a bus on fire outside Blue Cross Park. The Winnipeg Police Service responded to the scene and confirmed the fire was intentionally set. Initially, two teenagers were detained. Subsequently, a 15-year-old girl faced charges of arson causing property damage and possession of incendiary materials. She was later released into the custody of a responsible adult.
The Winnipeg Police Service stated in a release: “The entire bus and contents were destroyed.” The cost to replace the 56-seat bus and its equipment is approximately $425,000.
Jackson Greteman, operations manager at Windstar, expressed disappointment over the incident: “We are very disappointed that this could happen to our family-owned company, and the loss of this vehicle will impact our business and operations.” Greteman noted they are relieved no injuries occurred and are cooperating with local authorities.
The investigation is ongoing, and officials have not released information about a potential motive.