Buses used in pro-immigration rally burned
By TERESA BORDEN
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 04/19/06
The owner of a bus line who provided free transportation to some of the
people attending a pro-immigration rally last week said today that
three of his buses were burned overnight while they sat in a Doraville
parking area.
Carlos Ochoa, who owns Royal Bus Lines, said he was notified by
employees about 7 a.m. that the 20-passenger buses he keeps in a
private parking lot off Church Street had burned.
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"I would not want to believe that this happened because of the march,"
said Ochoa, who offered six buses to provide free transportation to the
April 10 rally in Atlanta that was part of a nationwide protest against
federal immigration legislation.
"But looking at the buses like this, makes me feel sad," said Ochoa, a
a naturalized citizen from Colombia. "At the same time, it gives me
courage to continue what we are trying to do" in supporting the
Hispanic community's efforts to fight proposed tougher federal laws
against illegal immigration.
Two of Ochoa's drivers live in a house across the street from the
parking lot, which is surrounded by chain-link fence.
Miguel Tercero, one of the drivers, said the son of his housemate heard
a noise about 12:45 a.m., possibly from a tire exploding, and went out
to see what was going on. He saw the burning buses, and police and
firefighters at the scene.
"It is a very difficult and hard thing; it makes you wonder what is
happening," said Tercero, a 54-year-old naturalized citizen from
Honduras.
Royal's bright yellow buses are most familiar on Buford Highway. Ochoa
said the 6-year-old company serves riders in the Lindbergh area of
Atlanta, Sandy Springs and Doraville.
Ochoa said one of his buses was torched in the same storage yard last
year. He said police determined it was arson but no arrests have been
made.
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