JUTC releases CCTV footage and $1 million reward in hunt for CNG bus arson suspect

The Jamaica Urban Transit Company (JUTC) has released surveillance footage and is offering a $1 million reward as investigators pursue a man believed to have deliberately set fire to two of the agency's compressed natural gas (CNG) buses over the past two years.

Managing Director Owen Ellington told a press briefing that on May 30, 2026, sometime after 4:00 p.m., a brand-new Yutong CNG bus was burned at the Spanish Town lay-by and was completely destroyed. The estimated replacement cost is US$200,000, but Ellington said the commuter impact is far greater. Each bus seats 55 passengers with room for 25 standing—75 in total—and can make as many as six trips per day in either direction.

Ellington warned that the arson took place in a crowded transportation centre aboard a vehicle fuelled by a highly combustible gas. Had any CNG cylinder exploded in the busy bus park that afternoon, he said, the outcome could have been catastrophic. No passengers were aboard at the time, and no injuries or deaths were recorded.

General Manager Mark Dillon said onboard cameras captured a male passenger boarding in downtown Kingston at approximately 2:43 p.m. on May 30. After paying his fare in cash, he travelled to Spanish Town. When the bus reached the lay-by and other passengers left, he remained briefly on board, ignited an object, disembarked, and the vehicle was soon engulfed in flames.

Reviews carried out with the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) and the Jamaica Fire Brigade also turned up images from a similar incident about two years ago, when a Golden Dragon CNG bus was set alight at the Half-Way-Tree Transportation Centre. On that occasion, swift action by the driver helped contain the fire before the bus was totally destroyed. Investigators believe the same individual is responsible for both attacks. Footage shows him wearing the same hat and strap bag in each case, though a different jersey during the 2026 incident.

The Commissioner of Police has assigned a dedicated task force to the case, but investigators have not yet established the man's identity. JUTC said the public release of the images was agreed with the JCF and will not compromise the ongoing probe.

Crime Stop General Manager Sherice Bruce-Douglas and JCF Detective Sergeant Crystal Taylor joined JUTC officials at the briefing. Members of the public are asked to study the footage carefully and report any information to Crime Stop at 311 or the nearest police station.