Margarito Vargas-Rosas Facing A Terrorist Charge For Allegedly Threatening To Kill Greyhound Passengers

Vargas-Rosas was taken into custody in Illinois after a Greyhound bus driver failed to stop for County Sheriff's deputies from various agencies until authorities were force to spike several front tires of the bus.

By H. Nelson Goodson

Hispanic News Network U.S.A.

January 14, 2018

Lake County, Illinois - On Friday, Margarito Vargas-Rosas, 33, who resides in Chicago was taken into custody after several passengers on Greyhound headed to Chicago called 911 and told the emergency operator that man had threaten to kill passengers and indicated he had a weapon. The Greyhound bus left the Milwaukee terminal and was headed to Chicago when Milwaukee County Sheriff's deputies responded to the 911 call and attempted to stop the bus. Also, the Racine County Sheriff's deputies joined in the attempt to stop the bus. Authorities were finally able to stop the bus when they spiked the front tires of the bus to take the air out and it finally stopped inside the Illinois border. Lake County deputies from Illinois took Rosas into custody and is now awaiting extradition to Wisconsin to face a felony and misdemeanor charges for making terrorist threats and disorderly conduct.

The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) confirmed that Rosas was in the country illegally and had been deported twice in 2012. Rosas reentered the U.S. illegally again and was residing in Chicago, but was working at a Milwaukee restaurant. 

The Greyhound driver told authorities that he thought deputies were in a training exercise or might have been trying to stop some one else to explain why he didn't stop earlier. There were 37 passengers in the bus including the driver and Rosas. The bus driver also told investigators that he didn't notice Rosas getting into an argument with several other passengers.

The bus has been seized to check, if any weapon was hidden inside. Rosas was arrested without incident and he was unarmed. Passengers were searched as well and no weapon was located. 

Rosas apparently threatened to kill the arresting deputies and investigators, according to Christopher Schmaling, the Racine County Sheriff in Wisconsin.

Lt. C. Schulman from the Criminal Investigations for the Racine County Sheriff's Office (RCSO) released the following report, On 1/12/18 at approximately 9:50pm, the Racine County Communications Center received a transferred 911 call from Milwaukee County. The caller advised that he was a passenger on a greyhound bus that was en route to Chicago. The caller advised a male on the bus claimed to have a gun and made threats to kill people.
The Racine County Sheriff's Office located the bus S/B on I-94 and a traffic stop was initiated. The bus did not come to a stop until it was just south of the Illinois state line.
A male subject has been arrested and detained as a result of this incident. Nobody on the bus was injured. This investigation is ongoing, according to Lt.  Schulman.

The assisting law enforcement agencies from Wisconsin involved in this incident were the Milwaukee County Sheriff's Office, Racine County Sheriff's Office, Kenosha County Sheriff's Office and Wisconsin State Patrol, from Illinois were the Illinois State Police and Lake County Sheriff's Office.