A 42-year-old man was detained on Sunday afternoon after he sat behind a stranger on a Tulsa city bus and cut her throat, subsequently fleeing the area.
Tulsa Police quickly located Robert J. Rhoades and took him into custody, finding him with blood on his clothing and a bloody knife in his pocket.
Police reported that the victim was taken to a hospital, where she underwent surgery. Doctors are described as being “hopeful” about her recovery, asserting that she has been stabilized.
“Witnesses, including the bus driver, informed us that both Rhoades and the 43-year-old female victim got on the bus at the Walmart stop on 81st and Lewis,” police stated. “Rhoades sat directly behind her, with no previous interactions or verbal exchanges between them. As the bus reached the main station, Rhoades reached around and allegedly attacked the victim by slicing her throat before leaving the area.”
Detectives have gathered witness statements and have asked for video footage from the bus.
Rhoades has been charged with assault with a deadly weapon and false impersonation and is being held on a fugitive warrant from Missouri.
