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School Buses Late Rollin' After Batteries Stolen

MIAMI (CBSMiami) - Several private school bus drivers were sent scrambling Tuesday morning after the batteries were taken out of their vehicles in an attempted burglary.

The buses were parked in a lot at W. 34th Avenue and Flagler Street. The entire bus lot is fenced in and has a locked gate. Police said Miguel Guerra, 36, used something to pry back a section of the fence and went through the hole to get inside.

Thanks to a sharp eyed neighbor, police caught Guerra and recovered the batteries. The problem was he cut the battery cables on some to remove them from the buses.

Miguel Guerra
Miguel Guerra (Source: Miami-Dade Corrections)

Most of the buses were repaired, but were running behind schedule because of the crime.

Bus owner/driver Jorge Balbuena told CBS4's Natalia Zea that Guerra hurt the bus owners and the students.

"This is my food. This is how I put food on the table. And this is how I help the people. Because most of these kids that we take, they're depending on us because the parents of these kids have to work."

About a thousand students, from kindergarten age to high school, rely on these buses to get to school.

CLICK HERE To Watch Natalia Zea's Report 

"The real damage that this guy make to us is to the kids who don't go to school this morning. Their fathers can't go to work, they have to take their kids to school. And for us, we lost the job for the day," said Balbuena.

This was the third time in the last three years that thieves targeted buses in this lot. Police say the MO Guerra used, is similar to the others. Officers on scene also told Zea that Guerra's license plate number is linked to a previous burglary of a another school bus lot.

Imandra Pupo, who works two jobs and depends on the bus service to take her son to class, said she's now worried about security at the lot.

"My concern is the safety issue," said Pupo. "It's really dark here. There's nobody here, no security, anything and I come here around this time on a daily basis to drop off my son."

Guerra, 36, has been charged with seven counts of burglary, one count of possession of burglary tools and one count of criminal mischief.

He made his first appearance in court Tuesday afternoon.

"Oh, this is the gentleman that I saw on the news this morning," said Judge Arian Fajardo.

Guerra was ordered held on $45,000 bond, plus house arrest.

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