A cellphone theft on a Columbus bus led to the suspect pointing a gun at the victim after the rider chased him. The suspect took off running, but when the rider caught up to him, he pulled out a handgun and aimed it directly at the victim before fleeing the scene.
The robbery happened on Oct. 26 while the victim was riding a Central Ohio Transit Authority bus, according to WSYX. The suspect snatched the victim's cellphone and ran off the bus, and the victim gave chase. That's when the man pulled a handgun and pointed it at him, the outlet reported, before getting away with the stolen device.
Columbus police have since released a photograph of the suspect in hopes that someone can identify him. Anyone with information is asked to call the Columbus Police Robbery Unit at 614-645-4665, while those who want to stay anonymous can reach Central Ohio Crime Stoppers at 614-461-TIPS (8477), per the same report.
A Transit System Where Weapons Are Already Banned
COTA has stated that no weapons of any kind are permitted on any of its transit vehicles, according to NBC4. That policy was tested in a separate incident in 2024, when a man pointed a gun at passenger Sonny James on the 5300 block of East Livingston Avenue. James described the moment in stark terms, telling the station, “He pointed a gun directly to my face, an inch from my face, and stated, ‘You know, I'm a bad man. I will kill you.’”
That case is not connected to the Oct. 26 robbery, but it underscores that this isn't the first time a Columbus bus rider has faced down an armed stranger on COTA property. The transit agency's no-weapons rule applies system-wide, regardless of the outcome of either investigation.
Not the First Phone Grab on a COTA Bus
Cellphone thefts aboard COTA buses have surfaced before as well. In a separate case this past summer, police shared a photo of a man accused of stealing a passenger's cellphone downtown near Front and Broad streets. In that incident, the suspect reportedly boarded the bus on a red mobility scooter and got off once he had the phone in hand, the station's report noted.
There is no indication the two cellphone cases are related, and investigators have not said whether the man from Oct. 26 has been identified. For now, Columbus police are relying on the public to help put a name to the face in the photo they've released, with tip lines open for anyone who recognizes him.
