MDOT MTA Police are asking for the public's help to identify a person they say assaulted a bus operator on a CityLink NAVY bus rolling through downtown Baltimore during the Monday evening rush on April 1. Investigators say the attack happened around 6:40 p.m. as the bus headed into the 100 block of West Lombard Street. The suspect had reportedly boarded in the block of East Lombard Street with a group of juveniles and later got off at the unit block of West Lombard. Officials have released an image of the person they are looking for and are asking anyone with information to call Officer Jason Bobbit at 410-454-7720.
Police Release Image, Ask Riders To Speak Up
MDOT MTA Police have put out a photo of the individual they are trying to track down and are urging riders and downtown workers to take a close look. According to FOX45, the assault took place aboard a CityLink NAVY bus at about 6:40 p.m. on April 1. Authorities have not released information about the operator's injuries, and so far have kept the public focus squarely on finding the suspect.
What We Know About Where It Happened
The CityLink NAVY line cuts straight across downtown along Lombard Street, a stretch that is busy with commuters, tourists, and workers most evenings. The route includes stops near intersections such as Lombard & Howard and Lombard & Hopkins Place, the corridor where the incident occurred, according to the line's route details. Schedules from the Maryland Transit Administration show the NAVY bus routinely traveling that same section of Lombard where police say the operator was attacked.
Assaults On Transit Workers Put In Wider Context
The case lands in the middle of a broader, ongoing concern about violence against transit workers in Maryland and around the country. Testimony submitted to state lawmakers notes that MTA issued an "Assaults on Public Transit Operators" report in December 2023. That testimony, drawing on National Transit Database numbers and accounts from unions, points to an increase in major assaults in recent years and calls for stronger protections for operators. Those concerns are outlined in documents filed with the Maryland General Assembly.
How To Share Tips Or Footage
Police are asking anyone who recognizes the individual in the released image, or who was in the Lombard Street area at the time of the assault, to contact Officer Jason Bobbit with the MTA Police Southern District at 410-454-7720. According to FOX45, investigators are also interested in any photos or video from that stretch of Lombard that might help them piece together what happened on board the bus. Officials say they plan to provide updates as the investigation moves forward.
