A late-night bus ride in East Austin turned violent when a rider was robbed and badly hurt on a CapMetro route, and Austin police are now asking the public to help track down the suspect.
According to Austin police, the robbery happened around 9:47 p.m. on March 19, while the bus was parked near Heflin Lane. Investigators say the suspect yanked a cellphone out of the victim’s hands with enough force to cause “significant” injuries.
APD has released a photo of the man they are looking for. He was last seen in a red shirt, black shorts and black shoes, wearing a black head covering, a gold chain and carrying a black backpack. Anyone with information is urged to call the APD Robbery Unit tip line at 512-974-5092 or Crime Stoppers at 512-472-8477. Tips can also be submitted online through Austin Crime Stoppers, as reported by KVUE.
Where It Happened
The robbery took place on a CapMetro bus parked at 4707 Heflin Lane, near the busy intersection of Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and Springdale Road. That corner has been the focus of recent safety and transit improvements, including relocated and upgraded bus stops earlier this year, but those changes have not stopped violent incidents from occurring in the area, according to Community Impact.
Transit Safety Concerns
This is not an isolated scare for CapMetro riders. Earlier this month, another violent confrontation on a South Lamar bus left passengers injured and brought a large police response, adding fuel to ongoing worries about riding the bus after dark.
Transit officials and CapMetro’s board have been weighing added security measures and broader public-safety initiatives at recent meetings. Those conversations are documented in recent board agenda materials, per CapMetro, and mirror concerns spotlighted in coverage of a South Lamar bus stabbing incident in Bible Talk Turns Violent on South Lamar.
How To Help
APD’s Robbery Unit is leading the investigation and is asking anyone who was on the bus or nearby at the time to hang onto any photos or videos they may have captured and share them with detectives.
Witnesses or anyone with information can contact the Robbery Unit tip line at 512-974-5092. Anonymous tips can be made through Crime Stoppers by calling 512-472-8477 or submitting information online, as reported by KVUE.
CapMetro says it works with APD and transit police to investigate crimes that occur on its vehicles and urges riders to report suspicious behavior. Investigators are still working the case and pressing anyone who knows something to come forward.
