Blue city bus attack heightens commuters' fears after Charlotte train stabbing

A Massachusetts commuter has been arrested after bystander video shows an elderly woman being shoved off of a bus and violently slammed to the ground in the latest attack caught on camera on a major blue city’s public transit system. 

The suspect has been identified as Luz Pineda, according to the Boston Globe. Pineda was located and taken into custody on Wednesday, the MBTA Transit Police confirmed to Fox News Digital. 

Police said the Sept. 8 incident occurred at around 1 p.m. on the corner of Martin Luther King Boulevard and Warren Street, just three miles from Fenway Park in Boston. 

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Pineda, who was with an infant at the time of the assault, can be seen allegedly yelling at the woman before throwing her shopping cart off the bus and shoving the woman onto the sidewalk, according to video obtained by FOX 26. 

MBTA Transit Police took to social media to ask for the public’s help to identify the suspect, who was expected to be arraigned in Roxbury District Court on Thursday morning. 

Authorities have not provided an update on the condition of the victim, who police said was injured in the attack. 

Fox News Digital was unable to immediately locate an attorney for Pineda. 

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“Safety will always be at the forefront of everything we do, and I’m proud of the prompt response and investigation by the MBTA Transit Police that led to the arrest of this individual,” MBTA General Manager and CEO Phillip Eng said in a statement to Fox News Digital. “The public deserves a safe transportation system, and I want them to know that this conduct will not be tolerated anywhere on our system.”

The incident comes just weeks after Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska, 23, was killed while commuting home from work on a North Carolina light-rail train last month, sparking nationwide outrage regarding Americans’ safety on public transit. 

Surveillance video captured the terrifying moments Decarlos Brown Jr. allegedly stabbed Zarutska in the throat three times with a folding knife while the young woman was seated in front of him on the train in Charlotte. 

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On Wednesday, Brown was charged with first-degree murder in connection with Zarutska’s death. He has been ordered to undergo a 60-day mental health evaluation before the court can determine if he is able to stand trial. 

At the time of the alleged murder, Brown possessed an extensive criminal record with 14 arrests in the past 12 years, along with a history of mental health issues. 

Brown’s attorney did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment. 

Zarutska’s death reignited concerns regarding violence commuters face while taking public transit throughout the nation’s major metropolitan cities, as concerned riders and public officials point to several high-profile attacks making headlines in recent years. 

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According to police records obtained by WCNC Charlotte, the city’s light-rail system has seen numerous incidents of violence since Zarutska’s killing. 

Just two days after the fatal stabbing, on Aug. 24, a 20-year-old man reported being bitten on both arms by a fellow rider while on a light-rail train. On Aug. 30, an unknown individual reportedly struck a rider in the face while on another light-rail platform, leading to one arrest. 

A few days later, on Sept. 3, a man believed to be homeless reported an incident in which he was reportedly held at gunpoint and robbed, with the perpetrator making off with nearly $3,000 from the victim’s Cash App account. On Sept. 5, a 52-year-old woman called the police to report that she had been threatened and then coerced into making unwanted physical contact with a suspect’s genital area while on the city’s light-rail train. 

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Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles addressed the public’s concerns while vowing to review the city’s public transit safety operations. 

“City leaders have been working to improve safety in our community and on our transit system and we will continue to do so,” Lyles wrote in a post on X.   

Lyles added that changes will be implemented throughout the transit system, such as an increased security presence as nearly “30 additional security personnel” are expected to be added to the Blue Line. 

“We are committed to working with everyone to ensure that our community continues to be safe,” Lyles wrote. “I believe in Charlotte, and we will come out stronger together.”