Joseph Andrew Townsend, 34, of Waldorf
UPDATE 7/22/2026: Joseph Andrew Townsend, 34, of Waldorf, faces two felony theft charges, felony unlawful taking of a motor vehicle, and misdemeanor unauthorized removal of a motor vehicle after authorities accused him of stealing a car in La Plata on July 18, 2026, being released that same day, and then stealing a school bus the following morning.
The first investigation began at about 8:34 a.m. July 18, when a La Plata Police Department officer was called to the IHOP on Rosewick Road in La Plata for a reported stolen vehicle.
An adult male victim told police he had left his 2017 Mitsubishi Mirage running while he went inside the restaurant to collect a DoorDash order. When he returned, the vehicle was gone.
IHOP management told the victim that surveillance cameras had recorded the incident. Police said the video showed a man leave the restaurant before the victim, stand near the running car while smoking a cigarette, open the driver’s door and look inside, close the door, wait several seconds and then get into the vehicle and drive away.
The man was described as a large white male with light brown hair and glasses who was wearing a bright orange T-shirt, dark red gym shorts, white socks and gray-and-white athletic shoes.
After the responding officer returned to the La Plata Police Department, another officer reported seeing a man matching that description walking south on Washington Avenue toward Rosewick Road. Police located Townsend near Washington Avenue and said his appearance and clothing matched the surveillance recording.
Townsend was arrested, advised of his rights and taken to the Charles County Detention Center. The stolen Mitsubishi was later recovered by the Charles County Sheriff’s Office at a Dash In convenience store in the Westlake area of Waldorf. Deputies said the keys were still in the ignition, and store employees reportedly said surveillance video showed the same person leaving the car and walking away.
Townsend was charged with felony theft of property valued between $1,500 and $25,000, misdemeanor unauthorized removal of a motor vehicle and felony unlawful taking of a motor vehicle.
At his initial appearance on July 18, 2026, District Court Commissioner Megan Harmon-Cooley set a $5,000 unsecured personal bond, allowing Townsend to be released without paying the bond amount upfront. The release occurred despite findings that personal-recognizance release was not appropriate because of the nature of the charges, the potential sentence, prior failures to appear and prior convictions relevant to his risk of not returning to court.
The second arrest began after a Charles County Sheriff’s Office deputy saw a yellow school bus travel through a solid red light while turning from westbound Leonardtown Road onto southbound Old Washington Road.
The deputy stopped the bus after it pulled to the curb abruptly and struck the curb. Townsend was identified as the driver through a Maryland learner’s instructional permit.
According to the deputy, Townsend agreed that the traffic light had been red. When asked whether he was supposed to be driving the school bus, Townsend said he was not.
The deputy reported that Townsend said he had entered the bus lot and boarded the bus because the keys were in the ignition. Townsend said he initially “just wanted some air condition but then changed his mind.”
A representative of the transportation company told the deputy that no one was authorized to drive the bus and that it had been stolen.
After being advised of his rights, Townsend agreed to answer additional questions, authorities said. He reportedly said he was homeless and “wanted air condition.” Townsend said he boarded the bus at about 9:30 a.m., started it to use the air conditioning and then decided he wanted to drive it. He said he did not have a destination in mind.
Police said the bus sustained minor damage to the passenger-side door frame when it struck the curb during the traffic stop. The transportation company estimated the door-frame damage at $500, while the cost of possible alignment damage had not yet been determined.
Townsend received a traffic citation for the red-light violation and was charged with felony theft of property valued between $25,000 and $100,000.
In the second case, District Court Commissioner Brandon Johnson ordered Townsend held without bond, finding a reasonable likelihood that he posed a danger to another person or the community. A bond review was held July 20, 2026, before District Court Judge Patrick J. Devine, and the online case information continued to list Townsend as held without bond after that hearing.
7/20/2026: On July 19, 2026, at approximately 10:30 a.m., officers from the Charles County Sheriff’s Office initiated a traffic stop on a school bus after the driver failed to stop for a red light at the intersection of Leonardtown Road and Old Washington Road in Waldorf.
As the driver started pulling over, he struck a curb causing minor damage to the front end of the bus. Officers approached and observed the driver inside the bus and no passengers.
A preliminary investigation showed the driver, Joseph Andrew Townsend, 34, of Waldorf, entered a privately owned school bus lot, found the keys to a bus, and stole it.
Townsend was arrested and charged with theft over $25,000.
He is currently being held without bond at the Charles County Detention Center.
