Three people attacked and robbed a 47-year-old on-duty MTA Q86 bus driver near 253rd Street and 149th Avenue in the 116th Precinct on Friday morning, May 29, according to police. Investigators say the trio allegedly used sticks and a crutch to beat the operator, stole his cellphone, and then took off east on 149th Avenue in a black Hyundai Sonata.
According to a wanted bulletin posted by NYPD Crime Stoppers, the confrontation started as a verbal dispute around 7:50 a.m., when three individuals got out of the sedan and confronted the driver on board the Q86. The post includes still images investigators released to help identify the suspects and urges anyone with video or eyewitness information to speak up.
🚨WANTED FOR A ROBBERY: On Friday, May 29, 2026, at approximately 7:50 A.M., a 47-year-old male, on-duty MTA bus driver was operating a Q86 bus in the vicinity of 253 Street and 149 Avenue, in the confines of the 116 Precinct. An unidentified individual had a verbal dispute with… pic.twitter.com/zGUzzJPyhU
— NYPD Crime Stoppers (@NYPDTips) June 12, 2026
Police release images and canvass the area
Detectives are treating the case as a robbery and have circulated surveillance stills from the scene to aid identification. They report canvassing the neighborhood and reviewing any available bus surveillance footage and nearby doorbell video in an effort to track the suspects before and after the attack.
How to help
Anyone with information is asked to call the NYPD Crime Stoppers tip line at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477), use the Spanish tip line at 1-888-57-PISTA (74782), or submit an anonymous report online through NYPD Crime Stoppers. Officials say rewards of up to $3,500 may be available for tips that lead to an arrest and indictment.
Where it happened
The Q86 route serves Rosedale and Jamaica and lists 253 St/149 Av as a regular timepoint, confirming where the bus was stopped, per the MTA. The intersection falls within the NYPD’s 116th Precinct, which was opened to serve Rosedale, Laurelton, and nearby neighborhoods, according to local coverage.
Transit worker safety concerns
Assaults on MTA workers have been climbing in recent years. A report by CBS New York found that 140 MTA employees were assaulted on the job in 2022, based on agency figures. A similar April incident in Queens, in which a bus driver punched on Q56 had his phone stolen, led officials and unions to renew calls for stronger protections for operators.
Legal note
If arrested, the suspects could face robbery and related assault charges under New York law. Robbery is codified in Article 160 of the Penal Law. See the New York State Senate’s summary of Article 160 for the statutory framework and degrees of robbery.
Police are asking anyone who was on the Q86 that morning, or who has video from the area around 7:50 a.m. on May 29, to review their footage and contact the tip line. Investigators emphasize that even a brief clip or a small detail from an eyewitness can be crucial in identifying the people shown in the released images.
