MA - School bus driver charged with kidnapping children - Grafton, Jan 2026

[Clearsky]

School Bus Driver Charged with Kidnapping Children After Allegedly Deviating 'from His Route' and Making 'Unauthorized Stops'

A school bus driver was charged with two counts of kidnapping on Wednesday, Jan. 14, after allegedly deviating from his route in Grafton, Massachusetts.

people.com

On Wednesday, Jan. 14, the Grafton Police Department-Massachusetts confirmed in a press release that a 54-year-old Worcester man had been arrested after authorities conducted an "investigation into alleged crimes against children."

 

[keek]

School Bus Driver Charged with Kidnapping Children After Allegedly Deviating 'from His Route' and Making 'Unauthorized Stops'

A school bus driver was charged with two counts of kidnapping on Wednesday, Jan. 14, after allegedly deviating from his route in Grafton, Massachusetts.

people.com

On Wednesday, Jan. 14, the Grafton Police Department-Massachusetts confirmed in a press release that a 54-year-old Worcester man had been arrested after authorities conducted an "investigation into alleged crimes against children."

Local and very surprised People picked this up.

 

[Spectrix]

A little more context is given in this article:

The alleged victims are a 5-year-old boy who is non-verbal and a 3-year-old girl. Police say a parent sounded the alarm just two days before Christmas after her son was dropped off a half hour late.

According to court paperwork, Gace blocked or turned off his bus's cameras on two different occasions in December. In both cases, he had one child on board and while the cameras were disabled, he allegedly took that child to a road that was not on his route.

The bus's GPS tracking system was working, and authorities claim it showed Gace pull down Abby Road, a half-developed cul-de-sac, and parked for more than 20 minutes. Police say there is audio of the boy crying, but the sound goes out 10 minutes after the bus was turned off.

Police discovered another incident while combing through weeks of GPS data. They allege Gace took a three-year-old girl down Abby Road a few days earlier, "for no explained or legitimate reason." Evidence suggested Gace first tampered with the cameras weeks prior.

I located Abbey Road on Google Maps, it's pretty secluded - Map Reference

Massachusetts school bus driver charged with kidnapping students, allegedly disabled cameras

A Grafton, Massachusetts school bus driver was arrested and charged with kidnapping and reckless endangerment of a child.

www.cbsnews.com

 

[keek]

A little more context is given in this article:

The alleged victims are a 5-year-old boy who is non-verbal and a 3-year-old girl. Police say a parent sounded the alarm just two days before Christmas after her son was dropped off a half hour late.

According to court paperwork, Gace blocked or turned off his bus's cameras on two different occasions in December. In both cases, he had one child on board and while the cameras were disabled, he allegedly took that child to a road that was not on his route.

The bus's GPS tracking system was working, and authorities claim it showed Gace pull down Abby Road, a half-developed cul-de-sac, and parked for more than 20 minutes. Police say there is audio of the boy crying, but the sound goes out 10 minutes after the bus was turned off.

Police discovered another incident while combing through weeks of GPS data. They allege Gace took a three-year-old girl down Abby Road a few days earlier, "for no explained or legitimate reason." Evidence suggested Gace first tampered with the cameras weeks prior.

Massachusetts school bus driver charged with kidnapping students, allegedly disabled cameras

A Grafton, Massachusetts school bus driver was arrested and charged with kidnapping and reckless endangerment of a child.

www.cbsnews.com

I'm furious out of my mind. Local news, I don't think had this out when I read. Oh my god and why is there a three year old BABY on that bus, makes no sense, even for a daycare, to me. IMO

 

[Stunned]

I pray there are no more children involved, but I have a horrible feeling there are! IMO

 

[Vaderman]

I have a feeling additional charges are going to be coming for this guy.

 

[keek]

Grafton is such a nice and pretty quieeeeet town. Nightmares for parents can happen ANYWHERE. People in charge of how he got that job. New news should be out now and heartbroken this has happened to parents that live in that kind of town on purpose now have had this to happen to their children.

 

[Spectrix]

I'm furious out of my mind. Local news, I don't think had this out when I read. Oh my god and why is there a three year old BABY on that bus, makes no sense, even for a daycare, to me. IMO

The worst part is, the only witnesses are the non-verbal five year old and the three year old, and they're unlikely to understand nor be able to describe what happened to them.

We know it's got to be bad, that driver didn't disable cameras and take these kids to a secluded spot for anything but filthy intentions.
But actually proving it is going to be very difficult.

 

[keek]

The worst part is, the only witnesses are the non-verbal five year old and the three year old, and they're unlikely to understand nor be able to describe what happened to them.
We know it's bad, but actually proving it is going to be very difficult.

Yes, so far looks like all they could do is go by the time line, stops, area he went to and parents concern. Physical exam by their pediatricians might show something. I'm so sick.

 

[Eli9]

Grafton school bus driver charged with kidnapping, endangerment of children

A bus driver in Grafton faces kidnapping and other charges after he deviated from his route with children, officials say.

www.masslive.com

Redi Gace, 54, of Worcester, faces two counts of kidnapping of a child, one count of reckless endangerment of a child, one count of witness intimidation and one count of withholding evidence from a criminal proceeding. A plea of not guilty was entered on all charges
..
“The investigation is ongoing, and additional charges may be forthcoming,” police said. Worcester police assisted with the arrest.

 

[outback]

Shouldn't a nonverbal child be on a special needs bus? The three year old on a a preschool bus? What about monitors?

This is just sickening.

Jmo

 

[keek]

Mass. school bus driver accused in kidnapping case disabled cameras, GPS, documents say

A school bus driver was charged with kidnapping and related charges after video and GPS showed route detours with young children on board and camera deactivation.

www.wcvb.com

 

[keek]

Shouldn't a nonverbal child be on a special needs bus? The three year old on a a preschool bus? What about monitors?

This is just sickening.

Jmo

Exactly, something is VERY WRONG HERE. There are always monitors I thought. I was one! It was a young children special needs bus. The bus driver is NOT expected to do anything but drive and drop off to parents/adult, at their home. Someone put those babies on the bus, their aide from school or the teacher, got them secured. IMO

 

[Inthedetails]

Exactly, something is VERY WRONG HERE. There are always monitors I thought. I was one! It was a young children special needs bus. The bus driver is NOT expected to do anything but drive and drop off to parents/adult, at their home. Someone put those babies on the bus, their aide from school or the teacher, got them secured. IMO

Agree! The system needs to change today. An aide needs to be riding on the bus. Yes, that is an added expense but it's a worse price to pay that someone was allowed access to children.

And/or there needs to be an alarm that alerts when a camera goes black and/or rig up the cameras so they cannot be covered.

Furious that little ones were at risk from someone who should be trustworthy.

Gross.

jmopinoin