PHOTOS: A judge sentenced an Indianapolis man after he pleaded guilty to setting an IndyGo bus on fire in April 2024. Chief U.S. District Judge James R. Sweeney II sentenced 46-year-old Demarcus McCloud to eight years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, after he pleaded guilty to two counts of malicious damage to property receiving federal funds and one count of malicious damage to federal property. McCloud must also pay $1.79 million in restitution.
According to an Indianapolis Fire Department spokesperson, an IndyGo bus caught fire around 7:10 a.m. April 24, 2024, at the bus stop near North Meridian and East 38th streets. The bus driver said he noticed smoke coming from behind him shortly before the bus went up in flames, according to IFD. Fire investigators confirmed there was no malfunction with the bus or its electrical systems in regards to the fire. Video from inside the bus showed McCloud pouring liquid from a jug on the floor of the bus before lighting a piece of paper on fire, throwing that paper on the liquid and running off the bus, according to court documents.
