COBB COUNTY, Ga. — A Cobb County school bus driver was arrested Wednesday afternoon after police said he walked into a family’s home looking for their daughter.
Channel 2′s Cobb County Bureau Chief Michele Newell was the only reporter on the bizarre story on Channel 2 Action News at 5 p.m.
Cassioppia Cea’s daughter attends Powers Ferry Elementary School. Cea said a new bus driver on the route scared her when he walked into her house earlier this week.
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Police have identified the driver as Gogineni Rayudu. Cea said he walked into their home through their unlocked door and closed it behind him. He was wearing gloves at the time.
“My boyfriend was right there, and he came walking out, like, ‘Excuse me? Who are you?” Cea said. “I tried to keep my distance at first because I didn’t know if he had a weapon on him.”
Cea said she pointed out that kids were out of school this week. Rayudu told her he was looking for her and her daughter.
“I just started grilling him with questions, and as soon as I did, he took off,” Cea said.
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Cea said Rayudu, who has only been on the route for about two months, has asked her daughter inappropriate questions in the past and told her he was her friend if she needed someone to confide in.
“Everything in my gut was telling me something was seriously wrong,” Cea said. “I I hadn’t been there, what would have happened?”
Neighbors said they’ve seen Rayudu roaming around the neighborhood, asking for Cea’s daughter and another little girl.
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Cea and her boyfriend filed a police report and were at Cea’s home as detectives searched for clues Wednesday afternoon.
Police asked Newell to hold off on her report because they were moments away from arresting Rayudu. They located him at another location and arrested him.
Rayudu has been charged with burglary and loitering.
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