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Retired Driver Arrested In Golden Gate Transit Bus Theft Released From Jail

NOVATO (CBS SF) -- A retired Golden Gate Transit bus driver who was arrested for allegedly stealing a Golden Gate Transit bus in Novato on Tuesday has been released from Marin County Jail pending the filing of charges against him.

Richard McAulay, 48, of Santa Rosa, had worked as a Golden Gate Transit driver between May 2000 and his retirement in December 2010, Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District spokeswoman Mary Currie said.

McAulay would have known how to start the bus via a keyless, electronic system, Currie said.

McAulay allegedly stole the bus around 4:10 p.m. Tuesday from the bus yard at 1 Golden Gate Place and drove it to Santa Rosa, where he was confronted by a Golden Gate Transit official, Novato police Sgt. Jay Demski said.

A Novato police officer then arrested McAulay in Santa Rosa for vehicle theft and drug possession after McAulay was found to be in possession of heroin and narcotics paraphernalia, Demski said.

McAulay is suspected of being under the influence of a controlled substance at the time of the theft, Demski said.

He was being held in Marin County Jail on $25,000 bail before his release.

(Copyright 2013 by CBS San Francisco and Bay City News Service. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

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