Indianapolis, IN
Man, 45, facing three counts of arson in IndyGo bus fire
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Kelly Wilkinson, kelly.wilkinson@indystar.com
The man accused of setting an IndyGo bus on fire last week was found with two lighters and smelled like “ignitable liquid” when he was arrested about a quarter mile from the scene, according to court documents.
The bus was engulfed in flames at a stop on the north side of Indianapolis near the intersection of 38th Street and Meridian Streets on the morning of April 24.
The 45-year-old man taken into custody in connection with the arson was located at a McDonald’s restaurant down 38th Street.
There were four people on the bus, including the driver. The bus driver said all passengers evacuated through the middle door of the vehicle. Indianapolis Fire Department officials said two passengers were transported to Eskenazi Hospital to treat slight injuries afterwards.
Investigators used survelliance footage and information from the bus driver to make an arrest, according to a probable cause affidavit for the suspect’s arrest.
IndyGo had cameras inside the bus and at the bus stop shelter. The man arrested at the McDonald’s had the same clothing on as the man who set the bus ablaze in the video, the affidavit reads.
The video showed the man getting on the bus at the transit center in downtown Indianapolis around 6:45 a.m. He was carrying a clear, plastic milk jug with a brown liquid inside.
About 20 minutes later, the video showed the man on the bus lighting a piece of paper on fire then blowing it out. He then moved to a seat closer to the bus’ exit and pretended to drink from the milk jug, according to the affidavit.
Previous coverage: IndyGo bus fire at 38th and Meridian ends in arson arrest
At about 7:10 a.m., as the bus was approaching the stop, the video showed the man pouring the liquid out of the jug then lighting paper on fire and throwing it toward the liquid on the floor of the bus, the affidavit reads.
The liquid ignited into a large ball of fire, the video showed. The bus driver told investigators he had stopped the bus and was walking to the back to ask the man what was in the jug when the man started the fire, according to the affidavit.
The passenger who started the fire had ridden the bus a few other times in the week prior, the bus driver stated. The driver identified the man detained at McDonald’s as the arsonist, the affidavit reads.
The bus was a 2018 2018 BYD all-electric bus and the damage from the fire cost IndyGo $2.1 million, investigators learned.
Demarcus McCloud was arrested in connection with the arson. He is charged with two counts of arson as well as arson resulting in bodily injury, court records show.
McCloud has faced charges in several other criminal cases filed in Marion County in the past five years, including several drug-related cases. An attorney for McCloud was not yet listed in online court records before publication of this article.
McCloud is currently in custody at Marion County’s Adult Detention Center, but prosecutors have filed a motion asking he be ordered to stay away from all IndyGo buses and stations if he were to be released before a trial.
Prosecutors also filed a motion requesting a greater than standard bond for McCloud.
“Defendant is a risk to the safety of the community, due to the nature of the allegations against him in this case,” prosecutors wrote in that motion.
Online court records were not yet updated with scheduling information on the next hearing in the case before publication of this article.
Contact Jake Allen at jake.allen@indystar.com. Follow him on Twitter @Jake_Allen19.
Indianapolis, IN
Indianapolis Opera’s free concert spotlights influential Black composers
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — The Indianapolis Opera will host a free concert in honor of Black History Month Saturday night at 6 p.m. to celebrate the legacy and artistry of Black composers. The event features a range of spirituals, contemporary art songs, and operatic works performed a cappella.
Lyndsay Moy, the director of education, outreach, branding and design for Indianapolis Opera, said the event is designed to keep this specific music accessible to the public.
Resident artist Ian Williams, describes the concert as a mix of traditional repertoire and new songs. The artists will perform without microphones or instrumental accompaniment. “All of this is just straight out of our voices, so there’s no microphones,” Williams said. “We’re just creating the sound ourselves and putting it into a space, so it’s a little bit of, a little bit of breathing, a little bit of extra work there, yes.”
“So many composers tonight have been so influential in the broader vocal canon and it’s important and wonderful for us to be able to offer this kind of concert for free to our community to keep this kind of music accessible and more importantly to feature these fabulous artists like Ian so much talent,” Moy said.
Williams noted that the concert allows the organization to celebrate classic composers who were not well known during their own time. “It’s very cool because we get to celebrate some of classic composers all the way back to William Grant Steele, who was one of the who wrote operas back in the day, even during the time of Porgy and Bess, but he wasn’t, it wasn’t well known,” Williams said.
One of the featured pieces is the traditional spiritual “Fix Me Jesus,” which was arranged for the University of Michigan choir. Williams said the arrangement by Stacey Gibbs maintains the traditional spiritual style while adding rich harmonies.
While formal tickets for the event are currently sold out, those interested in attending can email tickets@indyopera.org to be added to a waitlist.
Check out the video above to hear a sneak peak of the Indianapolis Opera!
Indianapolis, IN
Highlights: Tri-West at Cardinal Ritter; February 27, 2026
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — “The Zone” featured highlights from eight high school boys basketball games from across central Indiana on Friday.
Watch highlights of Tri-West at Cardinal Ritter above.
Final Score: Tri-West 65 Cardinal Ritter 62
“The Zone” airs each Friday at 11:08 p.m. Click here to watch ‘The Zone’ for basketball highlights on February 27, 2026.
Indianapolis, IN
New bridge over 96th Street adds to Nickel Plate Trail connections
FISHERS, Ind. (WISH) — The Nickel Plate Trail pedestrian bridge over 96th Street is officially open.
It was being touted Friday as a major milestone for central Indiana’s growing trail system. The street is the Fishers-Indianapolis border.
Leaders called the project a critical connection point for the Nickel Plate Trail. The new bridge helps move the nearly 17-mile trail closer to its goal of connecting multiple counties through one continuous path.
The bridge also came with a 1.3-mile trail extension. A $4.5 million grant from the Indiana Department of Natural Resources made the bridge possible.
Dale Brier, deputy director of Indiana Department of Natural Resources, talked about the state’s Next Level Trails grant program. “Currently, we have 89 trail projects that that were funded with that money. Fifty-nine of those are complete. We’ve got 12 under construction. As of this opening, we have 167 miles of trail that have now been opened with that grant money.”
People who frequently take the trail for their daily exercises say they’re excited the bridge is finally open.
Alan Errichiello of the Fishers Running Club said, “Extending this down south into Indianapolis is a big game changer for us. It’ll add a lot of miles that we can easily get into.”
Resident Tracy Mundell said, “Trying to get to the other side was nearly impossible, so I think most people didn’t even attempt it. It’s going to be great, we can get over to the other side, and I’m anxious to see what’s over there.”
The final portion of the project, called the Clear Path project, remains under construction.
Fishers Mayor Scott Fadness, a Republican, said, “We need to double-down on that investment, and we know time and time again here in the city of Fishers that trail systems, the ability to get up and get out and get active, is such an important part in our culture of health, that an investment like this is critical.”
Once complete, local leaders say the goal is to provide a more safe and connected routes between Noblesville, Fishers, Indianapolis and other surrounding cities.
Resident Steve Mundell said, “It’s lovely. It’ll be real convenient to get across too.”
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