A 44-year-old man is under arrest in the theft of a Jefferson County school bus that was located in Walker County.

James Stafford is charged with first-degree theft of property.

Stafford was booked into the Jefferson County Jail about 9:30 p.m. Monday and remains held on $20,000 bond.

Jefferson County sheriff’s deputies were notified about the missing bus at 6:45 a.m. Monday.

Lt. Joni Money said the driver parked the Jefferson County Board of Education school bus at the West Jefferson Town Hall building on Friday afternoon. When he returned to the bus Monday morning to begin his route, he discovered the bus was missing.

It was taken from 7000 West Jefferson Road in Quinton at about 3:35 a.m. Monday, Money said.

A substitute bus was used to transport students, school officials said.

Sheriff’s authorities received information shortly before 5:30 p.m. that the bus had been spotted on Free Will Road, just inside Walker County. They responded and found the bus on an old logging road.

Money said there were fresh footprints leading away from the bus.

Deputies brought in a tracking dog, which led them to Stafford.