BURBANK, Calif. – A Metro bus driver was viciously attacked at a downtown Burbank station on Dec. 26, resulting in the driver being hospitalized in the ICU. The public was not informed of the attack until more than a week after it occurred.
Metro did not publicly disclose the attack until Thursday, when NBC4 received a tip about the incident. The Burbank Police Department, who also did not comment on the attack, stated that 32-year-old Terry Wyatt, who is unhoused, was arrested for the assault.
According to Burbank Police, the driver was inspecting a bus at the downtown Burbank station when he was attacked unprovoked by Wyatt, leaving him unconscious. Although the driver is now recovering at home, the incident has raised concerns among other drivers, with one driver revealing that he has been attacked more than 10 times himself.
This attack came amidst a series of violent incidents involving Metro in December. In one instance, a man was fatally stabbed on board a train in South LA, while another man was shot and killed near a Hyde Park Metro Station.
Following Wyatt’s arrest, the District Attorney filed charges for felony battery and elder abuse. The reason for Metro’s delayed announcement of the attack remains unclear, raising questions and concerns from community members and commuters who believe that immediate dissemination of such news is imperative for their safety.
The community is left questioning the lack of transparency and the implications for their safety in light of these incidents.