Around 5:20 PM yesterday, the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office received information a school bus that had been stolen earlier in the day was seen on Free Will Road, just inside Walker County. The bus had been taken earlier in the day from the West Jefferson Town Hall in Quinton. Deputies responded to the location and discovered the bus on an old logging road.
Fresh footprints were found leading away from the bus to Watkins Road. Deputies deployed a K9 and were able to locate a suspect. 44-year-old James Stafford was taken into custody and transported to the Jefferson County Jail in Birmingham. Stafford is charged with theft of property 1st degree and his bond is set at $20,000.00.