Accused Los Angeles bus hijacker charged with murder, kidnapping

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A man who allegedly hijacked a city bus in Los Angeles, killed a passenger and held its driver at gunpoint last Wednesday has been charged with murder and kidnapping, authorities said.

Lamont Campbell, 51, was charged with numerous felonies related to the hijacking, including carjacking, assault with a semi-automatic handgun, robbery, and felon in possession of a gun, Los Angeles county prosecutors said Monday.

Campbell is alleged to have shot and killed 48-year-old Anthony Rivera on his way home from work. He also allegedly threatened and robbed another passenger with the weapon.

Prosecutors said Campbell first boarded the Metro bus at about 12:30 a.m. in South Los Angeles on Sep. 25, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office. After forcing the driver to continue driving by holding him at gunpoint, he led police cars on a slow chase through downtown for an hour before they were able to deploy spike strips to stop the bus and perform a hostage rescue.

The other passenger, who was injured and quickly released, has not been identified.

“Metro’s 12,000 employees deserve to be safe at work and our nearly 1 million customers deserve to be and feel safe as they travel to and from their homes, work, and leisure activities,” Metro CEO Stephanie Higgins said in a statement.

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Los Angeles district attorney George Gascon said at a press conference Monday that Campbell had an extensive criminal record, the Los Angeles Times reported. Officials also commended the bus driver, Dennis Contreras, for his bravery and remaining calm.

Rivera’s family told KABC-TV that Rivera, a former national guardsmen, was only a few blocks away from home when the gunman boarded the bus.

“He was just trying to get home from his very long shift as a parking lot attendant at Dodger Stadium,” Rivera’s cousin Sarah Beck said. “All he wanted to do was just get home safely, but he never made it home.”

The family called for more safety measures to protect passengers that depend on public transit.

“I just miss him dearly,” Rivera’s mother, Teresa Flores, told KABC-TV. “There’s so much I want to say and I just can’t. I’m just dumbfounded they took my son. ... He’ll always be with me, he’s my heart.”

Campbell will be arraigned Tuesday. If convicted of all his charges, he faces a maximum sentence of 90 years, eight months to life in prison.