Inset: Bruce Rodriguez (GoFundMe). Background: The Culver CityBus driven by Bruce Rodriguez in Los Angeles County, California, where he was fatally shot (KNBC).
Bruce Rodriguez, a California father and longtime bus driver, was fatally shot by a passenger who prosecutors say became angry after Rodriguez could not stop the bus because of congested traffic.
Jose Antonio Zayas, 55, allegedly removed his bicycle from the bus’s front rack and ran from the scene after shooting Rodriguez, 42, on the evening of Oct. 1, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office. Authorities located and arrested Zayas the next day. He faces a murder charge with a special-circumstance allegation involving the killing of transportation personnel, an allegation that he personally used a firearm and a separate count of being a felon in possession of a gun.
“Bruce Rodriguez was a valued colleague, a beloved father and husband who was tragically killed by a passenger aboard his bus,” Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman said. “People relied on him every day to get them to where they needed to go. Our transit systems must be safe for every driver, commuter and community member, and this office will hold individuals fully accountable if they brazenly and violently break the law and shatter that sense of safety.”
Prosecutors allege that Zayas drew a gun and opened fire after asking to leave the bus on South Centinela Avenue in Los Angeles’ Mar Vista neighborhood. The shooting occurred at about 5 p.m., according to the district attorney’s office.
According to prosecutors, Zayas asked Rodriguez to pull over so he could get off. Rodriguez could not do so because traffic was heavy and the bus was positioned in a way that prevented an immediate stop. Zayas allegedly responded by firing multiple rounds from a handgun, killing the driver.
Rodriguez was discovered unconscious in the driver’s seat near Centinela Avenue and Washington Boulevard. Emergency responders took him to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
An FBI task force working alongside the LAPD Gang and Narcotics Division arrested Zayas the following afternoon. He appeared in court earlier this week and is expected to be arraigned Nov. 5.
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Rodriguez is survived by his wife and their two young sons, who are 6 months and 3 years old.
“Bruce loved being a dad to our two little boys,” his wife, Sandy Sanchez, said during a Saturday vigil attended by hundreds. “He worked hard to care for us. For 12 years, he worked hard for the city of Culver City as a bus driver.”
Culver City Mayor Freddy Puza described Rodriguez as an important part of the community. He also said bus service was halted over the weekend following the shooting.
“We have lost a deeply valued member of our city family to a senseless act of violence,” Puza said.
Los Angeles City Council member Traci Park, whose district covers Mar Vista, is urging officials to improve protections for public transit employees. She cited at least 72 assaults against bus and train operators last year.
“This was a senseless and brutal act that took the life of a man simply doing his job and serving our community,” Park said in a statement Wednesday.
If found guilty on all charges as filed, Zayas could receive a sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole.
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