Springfield, Missouri. Prosecutors in Springfield have charged a man with forcing his way onto a Springfield school bus on Wednesday, April 4.
William T. Moore faces charges of car hijacking, assault with intent to commit bus hijacking, and a sex offender offense for being within 500 feet of a school building or transportation.
“We’ll be looking at that case more in detail now that we have him in custody to make sure we have the full range of charges filed,” said Greene County Prosecutor Dan Patterson.
Moore, according to the probable cause statement, approached the front doors while the bus was in a waiting area and forced them open. Moore then climbed onto the bus and removed the keys from the ignition switch. The majority of the juvenile passengers were able to depart towards the back of the bus.
A witness told police that they exchanged words with Moore after he shoved the bus doors open. The witness instructed Moore to get off the bus, to which Moore replied, “What bus?” When requested to get off the bus again, he responded, “This is my bus.”
Moore withdrew to his home in the 2800 block of S. Barnes and refused to leave for several hours. After obtaining a search warrant, officers entered the home and grabbed Moore, who was later brought into custody.
Moore is a registered sex offender with a past third-degree kidnapping offense from 2021 that resulted in probation, according to the probable cause statement.
“Because of this person’s criminal history, the danger posed by this offense, that is why we’ve sought to have him be held without bond,” Patterson told the media. “I anticipate us pursuing a prison sentence. It’s just too early for me to predict what it might be.”