LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Police in Tippecanoe County are investigating Sunday after multiple school buses were broken into and used to vandalize a playground.
The Tippecanoe County Sheriff’s Office received a report around 9:30 a.m. Sunday that the area near the Wea Ridge Elementary and Middle Schools was vandalized “along with what appeared to be a damaged school bus nearby”.
Upon arrival, deputies found “extensive” damage to the playground area and equipment. Additionally, eight Tippecanoe School Corporation school buses had “significant” damage.
Investigators determined that all six school buses had been driven in and around the secured parking lot area south of Wea Middle School. Two of the buses, police said, were stuck in mud outside of the fenced area while another bus appeared to be hit inside the parking lot and pushed back into a light pole.
Furthermore, two other buses were found outside of the lot where they had been driven into a wooded area and onto the cross-country path, police said. Investigators also said that one, if not more, of the buses were crashed into fencing and driven onto school grounds, hitting and damaging playground equipment.
The final school bus police found was driven off of the south parking lot and down an embankment, through a fence and back into the lot. In total, 6 buses were driven and 8 were damaged, police said.
The Tippecanoe County Sheriff’s Office has launched an active investigation into the vandalism with help from the school corporation. Anyone with information on the incident is being asked to call the sheriff’s office at (765) 423-9321.
