We are devastated by the tragic loss of one of our own. “Pasco Police Department shared information at a press conference earlier tonight that one of our bus drivers was assaulted today and died from his injuries. “It is with a heavy heart that I write to you this evening,” Pasco School District Superintendent Michelle Whitney stated on the district website. Pasco School District is offering counseling to the students, as well as to transportation staff who have been affected by this sudden loss. Davis had previous contact with law enforcement, the most recent encounter being in 2019. “At this preliminary point in the investigation, the ‘why’ would be speculation,” Pasco Police stated.ĭavis was booked into Franklin County Jail on an investigative hold for first degree murder. Investigators are currently unaware of any connection between the victim and the attacker. “We can take some small comfort in the knowledge that Lenhart was aware that the children left in his charge were safe and being cared for after the attack,” a Pasco police release stated. He was transported to a regional trauma center, where he later died from his injuries. Lenhart was left severely injured, though he was still responsive to witnesses, officers and medics while at the scene. Davis was quickly pointed out by bystanders and arrested without incident. He returned to the scene when police officers started arriving. The encounter took place on an active street in the middle of the afternoon, in view of others, the police said.ĭavis reportedly had driven to the scene in a private vehicle, parked nearby and approached the area of the school on foot. Police stated that Davis then stopped the attack and jumped off the moving bus as it approached the tree. The bus came to a complete stop only after it struck landscaping and a tree. The attack and ensuing struggle caused Lenhart’s foot to come off the brake, sending the bus forward over a curb and into a sign. However, police said that at that point he allegedly produced a knife, turned back and attacked Lenhart, who was belted into his seat. When Lenhart responded that the bus does not go to Road 100, Davis turned to leave. ![]() Davis then allegedly boarded the bus seemingly empty handed, to ask if the bus went to Road 100. Lenhart reportedly reopened the doors, presumably to see what Davis wanted, the police stated. As Lenhart was preparing to transport 35 students home, Joshua Davis, 34, approached the stopped bus just after students finished boarding. TriMet will continue working with Transit Police and the district attorney’s office to hold the assailant accountable to the fullest extent of the law.Richard Lenhart, a 72-year-old school bus driver for Pasco School District in Washington state, was stabbed to death by an intruder while elementary students were also on board.Īccording to the Pasco Police Department, the assault occurred Friday near Longfellow Elementary School. We remind the public that assaulting a bus operator is a felony. Managers are connecting the operator with support service for their mental and emotional wellbeing. TriMet is providing the following statement: “Our hearts are with our operator as they recover from this frightening ordeal. The bus driver was treated at a local hospital for the leg injury and released. Additional charges may be added after future investigative steps are completed. Richardson, was booked on a single charge of interfering with public transportation and existing arrest warrants. In addition to the charges, Perez-Velador had an existing arrest warrant. The bus driver and two suspects were the only people onboard at the time of the incident. ![]() Perez-Velador then confronted the driver and pulled out a knife, stabbing the driver in the leg. Police officers located Perez-Velador and a male acquaintance, 26-year-old Cody Christopher Richardson, nearby and took them into custody.ĭuring the investigation, officers learned the bus driver, who was sitting in the driver’s seat, asked Perez-Velador and Richardson to exit the bus because it had reached the line’s terminus. The bus driver reported that, after being stabbed by Perez-Velador in the leg, they extricated themselves through the driver’s side window as Perez-Velador was standing in the doorway armed with a knife. ![]() PORTLAND, OR (March 14, 2023) - The Multnomah County Sheriff's Office is reporting that Anna Karen Perez-Velador, 28, was booked on charges of assault, menacing, unlawful use of a weapon, coercion and criminal mischief, following a confrontation with a bus driver in Northeast Portland.Īt 11:00 P.M, on Monday, March 13, 2023, officers from Transit Police (TPD) and Portland Police responded to the area near NE 27th Avenue and NE Saratoga Street.
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