JUTC offers $1 million reward after Spanish Town CNG bus arson tied to 2024 fire

The Jamaica Urban Transit Company held a press briefing on June 22, 2026, to update the public on its investigation into the deliberate burning of a brand-new Yutong compressed natural gas bus at the Spanish Town lay-by on May 30.

Managing Director Owen Ellington said the fire broke out sometime after 4:00 p.m. and destroyed the vehicle completely. He estimated the replacement cost at about US $200,000 and noted that the loss removes capacity for up to 75 passengers per trip across as many as six daily runs. Ellington warned that setting a CNG-powered bus ablaze in a crowded transport centre carried catastrophic risk had gas cylinders exploded.

Investigators believe the same individual set fire to a Golden Dragon CNG bus at the Half-Way Tree Transportation Centre roughly two years earlier. On that occasion, quick action by the driver limited damage. Both buses were unoccupied, and no injuries were reported in either case.

Mark Dillon, JUTC's general manager for franchise protection and inspection, said onboard cameras recorded a male passenger boarding in downtown Kingston around 2:43 p.m., paying his fare in cash, and riding to Spanish Town. Footage shows him remaining briefly after other passengers left, igniting an object near the rear right of the bus, then exiting before flames engulfed the vehicle.

Since the incident, JUTC has worked with the Jamaica Constabulary Force and the Jamaica Fire Brigade. The commissioner of police assigned a dedicated task force, but the suspect's identity remains unknown. JUTC and the JCF agreed to release the footage without compromising the inquiry.

The company is offering $1 million to anyone who provides information that helps police identify, locate, and arrest the suspect. Members of the public are asked to call Crime Stop at 311 or contact their nearest police station. Detective Sergeant Crystal Taylor of the JCF joined JUTC officials at the briefing, alongside Sherice Bruce Douglas of Crime Stop.