Bus driver Bruce Rodriguez shot dead in Culver City; suspect arrested

Bus driver Bruce Rodriguez, 42, was fatally shot aboard a Culver CityBus in Mar Vista on Thursday. Suspect Jose Zayas, 55, was arrested Friday and charged with murder.

Culver City bus driver killed on route; suspect jailed on $3m bail

Bus driver Bruce Rodriguez, 42, was fatally shot while behind the wheel of a Culver CityBus in the Mar Vista neighbourhood of Los Angeles on Thursday evening, latimes.com reports. A suspect was arrested the following day.

Rodriguez was found unresponsive in his seat near the intersection of South Centinela and Mitchell avenues. Responding officers determined he had suffered a gunshot wound; paramedics transported him to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

A witness described seeing a man with a head wound removed from the bus shortly after the shooting. Police said multiple bullets were fired during the incident.

A 12-year career ended by violence

Rodriguez had driven for Culver CityBus for 12 years. He is survived by his wife Sandy, his parents, two sons aged three years and six months, and his sister-in-law Kathy Sanchez.

"Bruce served his community from behind the wheel. The role he loved most was at home, where he got to be a husband and a dad," Sanchez wrote in the description of a GoFundMe campaign created to support his family.

"Bruce was his family's primary provider. He took great pride in caring for the people he loved," she added.

Attorney Denisse Gastélum confirmed Rodriguez's identity to the Times and announced that a co-worker-organised memorial would take place Saturday evening at Wildwood Elementary School.

In a statement issued Saturday, Gastélum described the arrest of the suspected gunman as "an important step toward answers and accountability for Bruce's family," while stressing that it does not diminish the family's loss.

"Bruce spent 12 years serving this community, and he should have come home to his family," she said. "As we honor him tonight, we also call on public employers to listen to their employees' safety concerns and take meaningful action to protect the public servants who keep our communities moving."

Suspect booked on murder charge

The Los Angeles Police Department's Robbery Homicide Division, assisted by the Gang and Narcotics Division, arrested Jose Zayas, 55, on Friday afternoon. Zayas was booked on a charge of murder and is currently held at a facility in Van Nuys. His bail has been set at $3 million.

City suspends bus service

Culver City Mayor Freddy Puza announced the suspension of Culver CityBus services throughout the weekend following the shooting and said staff would be offered crisis support while they grieve.

"We have lost a deeply valued member of our City Family to a senseless act of violence," Puza said in a statement issued Friday.

"When services do resume, please be kind to our operators and transit team as they navigate this unimaginable tragedy," he concluded.

Community fundraiser surpasses $78,000

A GoFundMe campaign launched for Rodriguez's family had raised more than $78,600 toward a $150,000 goal at the time of publication. The campaign remembered Rodriguez for his "easygoing warmth," his passion for race cars, baking and "a good cup of coffee."

"These are the everyday pieces of Bruce that his family and friends will carry with them," the fundraiser stated.

Source: Google News MT — Crime (en)