Lodi New Jersey police recently arrested a Paterson NJ man accused of assaulting a bus driver.
According to law enforcement, the 28-year-old suspect violently attacked an NJ Transit bus driver while the bus was passing through Lodi, NJ.
At some point during the ride, the suspect allegedly became belligerent and disruptive. When the bus driver asked the suspect to get off the vehicle, the suspect reportedly started to verbally abuse the driver and other passengers.
The suspect then allegedly assaulted the driver before exiting the bus and fleeing the scene.
Lodi police officers were called to the scene a short time later. They canvassed the area in search of the suspect and eventually found him in the backyard of a home located on North Savoie Street.
The suspect, who lives in Paterson, NJ, was subsequently placed under arrest. He has been charged with aggravated assault on a bus driver.
If the suspect is convicted on the very serious aggravated assault charges, he would be subject to severe criminal penalties. As set forth by N.J.S.A. 2C:12-1(b), anyone who assaults the operator of a motorbus in New Jersey can be charged with a second degree felony. A conviction for second degree aggravated assault could result in a sentence of 5-10 years in New Jersey State Prison.
After being arrested and charged, the suspect was moved to the Bergen County Jail in Hackensack, New Jersey. He was being held at the correctional facility in lieu of a $2,500 bail amount.
For more information about this case, access the NJ.com article entitled “Paterson Man Assaulted NJ Transit Bus Driver, Police Say.”
