Indianapolis Man Gets Federal Prison Time for IndyGo Bus Incident

Source: Department of Justice

INDIANAPOLIS–The Department of Justice says a “violent career criminal” is being sentenced to eight years in federal prison for setting fire to an IndyGo Bus and bus station.

46-year-old Demarcus McCloud of Indianapolis pleaded guilty to two counts of malicious damage to property receiving federal funds and one count of malicious damage to federal property. He also has to pay nearly $1.8 million in restitution.

The incident happened on April 24, 2024 around 7 am at the IndyGo bus stop at 38th and North Meridian Streets.

“Bus cameras captured McCloud boarding Bus #1993 at the Julia Carson Transit Center with a jug of liquid and two butane lighters. The bus was actively operating and transporting passengers along the Red Line at the time. After boarding, he sat in the back, lit a cigarette while hiding under a blanket, discarded it on the floor, then lit and extinguished a piece of paper before relocating to another seat. As the bus neared Meridian and 38th Streets, he poured liquid down the center aisle, left the jug on its side, and began to exit the bus as the liquid continued to flow out. As he approached the bus door, he lit another piece of paper and threw it on the floor. The puddle ignited immediately, and McCloud ran from the bus,” the Department of Justice said in a Tuesday news release.

IMPD says they later found McCloud in a nearby McDonald’s parking lot holding two butane lighters in his hand.

Another passenger who got off the bus to help direct traffic. While assisting, the wind suddenly changed, causing a large plume of smoke to come over the victim. He was taken to a hospital to be treated for smoke inhalation.

“During the investigation, officers learned that four days earlier, on April 20, 2024, McCloud walked onto the IndyGo Red Line Virginia Avenue and New Jersey Street bus depot and set a fire inside the trash can. He watched it burn for nearly a minute before walking away. The fire grew inside of the trash can until IFD arrived,” said McCloud.

IndyGo operates their public transportation buses under the Federal Transit Administration. The bus depot and trash can were funded in part by federal financial assistance, specifically federal grant monies. The bus was destroyed by the fire and the depot was damaged, causing approximately $1,790,685 in damages.

The Department of Justice says McCloud has a 25-year history of violent crime, including multiple felony convictions for crimes including battery causing serious injury, firearm possession by a violent felon, burglary, attempted auto theft, drug offenses, trespassing offenses, and intimidation. He has threatened to kill police and their families, assaulted officers, attacked a woman with a broken pavement piece after she refused him money at a stop light, threatened to rob, rape, and murder another woman, and even violently assaulted his own mother.

“This defendant’s reckless actions endangered innocent lives, destroyed public property, and wasted nearly $2 million in taxpayer-funded resources,” said Tom Wheeler, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “Federal dollars are invested in our communities to serve and protect the public, not to be torched by a violent repeat offender with no regard for human life. Thanks to the swift response of first responders and the dedication of our federal and local law enforcement partners, he has been held accountable for his dangerous and destructive conduct.”