Florida woman crashes ‘repurposed’ school bus into Louisiana school after police chase; blowtorch seized

A Florida woman in possession of a blowtorch crashed a “repurposed” school bus painted with graffiti reading “sex trafficking awareness” onto a school campus in Louisiana while being chased by deputies on Tuesday, authorities said.

The pursuit began around 6 a.m. after the woman, later identified as 37-year-old Natalie Jade Jarvis, walked into a gas station in Mandeville while carrying a blowtorch and said she was looking for the local office of the Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS), the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office said.

Deputies were called and located the bus on U.S. Highway 190 near a Walmart. Officials described the bus as “old,” “very colorful” and “covered in graffiti” with a Virginia license plate.

The woman refused to stop and led deputies on a chase into downtown Covington, where she crashed into a fence on the grounds of the St. Scholastica Academy, the sheriff’s office said.

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Officials said there were no other occupants on board the bus at the time of the crash and no injuries were reported.

Authorities described the school bus Natalie Jade Jarvis drove as “repurposed” and “covered in graffiti.” (St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office)

Deputies took Jarvis into custody at the scene without incident and seized the blowtorch from inside the bus.

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Jarvis is believed to have been living inside the bus at a local state park for the past month, according to investigators. A male believed to have been living in the bus with Jarvis had been arrested last month on a domestic abuse charge at the state park.

Felony charges are pending against Natalie Jade Jarvis, the sheriff’s office said. (Covington Police Department)

The incident is under investigation and felony charges are pending, the sheriff’s office said. 

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No further details about why the woman was looking for the DCFS office or the domestic abuse charge against the unidentified man were immediately available.