By Ricardo Roura
May 5, 2024, 11:44 PM EDT
An LA Dash bus driver was attacked this Sunday afternoon by a homeless woman in South Los Angeles just two days after dozens of Metro transit operators called out sick amid safety concerns.
He Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) reported that, around 1:00 pm this Sunday, officers responded to reports of an attack against the driver at the intersection of South-Central Avenue and Jefferson Boulevard.
According to the first reports, the homeless woman committed the attack against the public transport worker after he refused to pay for the trip.
Video images that captured the incident showed the homeless woman attacking the bus driver, who was dragged outside the bus to the sidewalk, even though it was behind a protective plexiglass barrier.
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The driver He defended himself while the homeless woman continued the violent attackpulling on the worker’s uniform and hitting her at least once in the face, as seen in the video.
After several seconds of a heated altercation with the homeless woman, The bus driver was able to return to her seat in the vehicle.leaving his attacker outside before resuming his work behind the wheel.
LA Dash buses are operated by the Los Angeles Department of Transportation (LADOT).
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The recent “illness”, hosted by Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority operators on Friday, May 3occurred after a series of violent, and even deadly, attacks against operators and passengers of Metro buses and trains.
The early morning of April 22, Hispanic woman died after being stabbed aboard a Metro train when he returned home after completing his work day. Authorities said his attacker was a homeless man, who was arrested moments after the attack.
In early April, bus driver stabbed by passenger in Willowbrookwhile in March, a bystander armed with a BB gun hijacked a Metro bus and crashed into the Ritz-Carlton hotel in downtown Los Angeles.
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Last week, a member of the Metro Los Angeles Board of Directors said that she would not travel alone on the bus because she was worried about her personal safety.
Metro officials approved using emergency funds to increase the safety of bus drivers in the face of recent attacks.
Trips on LA Dash buses, operated by LADOT, They cost 50 cents, or 25 cents for seniors and people with disabilities.. They cover frequent routes in downtown Los Angeles and in 27 neighborhoods around the city, according to LADOT’s website.
It is unknown if the driver of the victim of this Sunday’s attack suffered serious injuries if she was evaluated at a local hospital.
According to the Los Angeles police, The homeless woman who committed the attack against the operator was arrestedalthough so far it is unknown what charges he will face.
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