Homeless man accused of damaging city bus

BEDFORD - MARCH 27, 2023 - A homeless man was accused of damaging a TASC bus last Tuesday.

File photo

According to the police report Matthew Chastain, 39, homeless, was charged with criminal mischief, Level - 6 felony, criminal mischief, class A misdemeanor, and Criminal recklessness.

Bedford Police Department was dispatched to the area of 16th Street and Clinic Drive at 2:20 pm last Tuesday, after a TASC bus driver reported that a male broke one of the windows to the bus.

Two women was on board the bus, when the bus came through the window. There were no injuries reported to the passengers.

According to Transportation Director Dennis Parsley is expected to out of service for two weeks to a month before repairs could be made. This will cause a interruption or impair the transportation services the city provides.

The damage to the TASC and replacement of the window is estimated at $331

Bedford police located Chastain who met the description of the person accused of breaking the window to the bus with rock.

When police arrived, Chastain dropped one rock to the ground, and threw a rock at the Jackson County Bank sign.

The sign to the bank had damage, the bank did not know how much it would cost to make repairs.

Bedford Police located damage to SAIC sign, with the damage to the SAIC sign estimated at $900.

Chastain told police " I am having a bad day," and did not know why he started throwing rocks at signs. Chastain stated he damaged signs at SAIC, Jackson County Bank, Duke Energy, and Bedford First Church of God.

Police could not locate damage to the Duke Energy sign or Bedford First Church of God signs.

Chastain was lodged in the Lawrence County Jail for his offenses.

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