Details of the school bus hijacking incident have emerged
New details have emerged regarding the hijacking of a private school bus in Kadıköy, Istanbul, yesterday. According to the details, the suspect told the bus driver, who was stopped at a red light, that his spare tire was falling off. When the driver got out of the vehicle to check the tire, the suspect hijacked the bus. It was determined that the suspect, who dropped off the students and the attendant in Göztepe, is 34-year-old Tolga N., who has a criminal record for various offenses. The suspect was apprehended in Ankara following a pursuit.
Müslim Sarıyar
Müslim SARIYAR/12punto.com.tr
The incident occurred yesterday morning in Kadıköy, Zühtüpaşa Neighborhood. The details of the school bus hijacking have now emerged.
REPORT RECEIVED
The report of the terrifying incident was made yesterday around 07:00 AM. A person who called the police said, “A man forced our bus driver out and is hijacking the bus with students inside; they are currently in the Göztepe area,” and provided the license plate of the bus.
DRIVER DESCRIBED THE INCIDENT
Following the report, the police took action. The bus driver, Oğuz Ç., described the incident to the police as follows: “While I was picking up students in front of the Kadıköy Söğütlüçeşme Marmaray station, a person I did not know told me, 'Your spare tire is falling off.' Upon this, I left the vehicle running and got out to check it. I went to the back of the vehicle and was checking the spare tire. At that moment, that person got into my vehicle and drove off. I tried to stop him. I struggled with the individual and was dragged for about 100 meters. I was injured and could not stop the vehicle,” he said.
STUDENTS RELEASED
The driver stated that there were 10 students and 1 female attendant inside the vehicle. Following this, a large-scale operation was launched. A short while later, the female attendant called the driver and said that the person who hijacked the vehicle had released them. It was learned that the attendant and the students, who were left in the 19 Mayıs Neighborhood in Pendik, are in good health.
“I WILL LET YOU GO”
The female attendant, who described the moments of terror to the police, said that her mobile phone and her wallet containing 200 TL remained inside the vehicle. It was stated that the suspect who hijacked the vehicle told the attendant and the students, “I have no business with you, I will let you go.”
APPREHENDED IN ANKARA
The hijacked school bus was found abandoned in Pendik. The teams from the Public Security Branch Office's Robbery Bureau, who conducted the investigation, identified the suspect in a short time by analyzing security camera footage. The police, who determined that the suspect was Tolga N., apprehended him in Ankara, where he had fled.
PROVED TO BE A CAREER CRIMINAL
In the investigation to be conducted by the Kadıköy District Police Department, it was revealed that the suspect is a career criminal. Tolga N. has a total of 13 separate criminal records for various offenses. A multi-faceted investigation into the incident is ongoing.