A 25-year-old McKeesport man is facing charges after an 18-year-old woman told transit police she was sexually assaulted, choked, and threatened with rape while riding a Pittsburgh Regional Transit bus on May 23. Transit police filed charges after the woman reported what happened to other bus drivers, and McKeesport officers later stopped the suspect in the city’s downtown.
According to a criminal complaint, the woman said she and 25-year-old Donovan Ivey of McKeesport had been messaging on Snapchat and had met once before in West View. She told investigators that during the May 23 meetup, Ivey repeatedly tried to put his hand on her groin, forced her to drink vodka from a Gatorade bottle, and later assaulted her at the back of a bus, squeezing her throat until she had trouble breathing. The complaint quotes Ivey asking, "What if I raped you while you were sleeping?" and telling the woman, "Doesn't matter, I'm gonna do it anyways" when she objected. The woman reported that a male bus driver did not call police after she told him what happened, but a female driver later locked the woman on her bus, called 911, and read Ivey's license plate to dispatch. McKeesport officers stopped Ivey in the 200 block of Fifth Avenue, and he was taken to transit police headquarters. Transit police filed charges on May 27. The complaint states Ivey initially denied most of the allegations but later admitted kissing the woman and touching her thigh and breasts, with mixed answers about whether he pressed on her neck, as reported by TribLive.
PRT policing and rider reporting
According to Pittsburgh Regional Transit, the transit police department has 47 full-time officers who investigate crimes directly related to the system, and the agency asks riders to report emergencies by calling its emergency number or 911. The agency’s safety information page describes transit security as a partnership between officers, employees, and customers and offers guidance for reporting suspicious behavior.
Other recent incidents on PRT vehicles
The McKeesport case lands on top of several high-profile incidents on PRT vehicles this year, keeping rider concerns about safety on buses and at transit centers very much alive. In March, a shooting aboard a PRT bus led to criminal charges in a case reported by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Local stations have also covered stabbings and fights at McKeesport facilities, including a 2025 incident reported by WPXI, underscoring the challenge of policing a sprawling bus network that serves thousands of riders a day.
Charges and next steps
Transit police charged Donovan Ivey on May 27 with felony strangulation, misdemeanor counts of terroristic threats, simple assault, and indecent assault, and a summary harassment charge, according to TribLive. The outlet reports Ivey had not been arraigned as of Monday and that a court official said there was an active warrant for his arrest. Prosecutors are expected to review the complaint and related evidence before filing formal charges or scheduling an arraignment.
Support for survivors
Anyone who has experienced sexual assault is urged to call 911 immediately. If the incident took place on a PRT vehicle, riders can also reach the agency at 412-255-1385, per Pittsburgh Regional Transit. Local victim services include Pittsburgh Action Against Rape and Crisis Center North, and the Pennsylvania Office of the Victim Advocate’s Pennsylvania Office of the Victim Advocate lists 24-hour hotlines and advocacy resources for survivors. Survivors who seek medical exams, legal advocacy or counseling can contact those agencies for confidential help while law enforcement investigates.
