Profanity Reportedly Angered Bus Driver in Kidnaping Case

A bus driver who allegedly kidnaped 10 Santa Ana elementary school students Friday and threatened to “blow them up” with gasoline was angered by the children’s profanity, according to police reports.

Ignacio Ruelas Granados, 25, of Santa Ana faces 10 counts each of child endangerment and false imprisonment. Granados was to be arraigned in Central Orange County Municipal Court Tuesday, but Public Defender Lee Towne received a delay until March 10 so his office could review the case. Towne could not be reached for comment Tuesday.

Granados also had been booked on suspicion of kidnaping and assault with a deadly weapon. However, those counts were not included with the complaint filed in court. Deputy Dist. Atty. Ken Chinn would not say whether additional charges will be filed by March 10.

Child Allegedly Was Struck

Granados allegedly drove the bus to a north Santa Ana park, poured gasoline onto the bus floor, held a lighter near the pool and threatened to ignite it, the children told police. He also allegedly struck one of the children. Granados then drove them all home, an hour later than scheduled, police said.

Santa Ana officers arrested Granados after parents complained to the school. One officer drove to the bus driver’s home on South Towner Street and reported seeing Granados washing the bus before getting in and driving away. He was pulled over and arrested at the corner of Broadway and Bishop Street, and police later found a bottle of gasoline in his home.

While the arrest was being made, several children were telling investigators about the incident. One boy said the driver appeared to become angry about the students’ obscenities and told them, “I don’t like bad words, and we are not going home.”

A 10-year-old girl told police that Granados threatened to burn her mouth, according to the police report. “I was scared that I might die,” she said. A 12-year-old boy said he considered trying to drive the bus while Granados was outside smoking.

Suspect Identified

One of the boys was taken to the Santa Ana Police Department, where he identified the suspect from a holding cell TV monitor. Granados told police that he didn’t remember anything about the incident and that the freeway drive was merely a shortcut.

Because the bus driver was still serving a three-year probation from a 1984 conviction, he is being held without bail at Orange County Jail. The previous case involved his harassment of a married Santa Ana College teacher.

In that case, his 30-day jail sentence was suspended on condition that he not approach the teacher.