Bus battery theft delays school in Soap Lake

SOAP LAKE - A thief or thieves delayed Soap Lake schools for two hours Tuesday.

The thieves broke into the school's bus compound between 2:30 and 6 a.m. to take the batteries from school buses, said Soap Lake Police Chief Glenn Quantz. "They didn't get some of them, but they did get the batteries out of two of them," he said.

"That's not your average vehicle," or your average battery, Quantz said, and the thieves may have been looking for something they could sell quickly. The batteries were valued at about $460, Quantz said.

The thefts delayed the start of school for two hours, according to an email from district superintendent Dan McDonald. He was unavailable for further comment.

- Staff report