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The suspect in the South Los Angeles busjacking and fatal shooting of subway passengers has been indicted on more than a dozen charges and could face up to 90 years in prison, prosecutors announced.
The family of a man killed in last week’s incident paid tribute to him over the weekend and called for reforms to the system that protects passengers.
Anthony Rivera, 48, was on his way home from a night shift in the Dodger Stadium parking lot around 12:45 a.m. Wednesday when a man with a gun entered the bus and shot him to death.
The suspected gunman, Lamont Campbell, 51, held the bus driver, Rivera, and another passenger hostage for more than an hour, authorities said. Police chased the bus around downtown before a SWAT team attacked it and arrested Campbell. There were no other major injuries.
Friends and family gathered Sunday at a park in Rosemead to remember Rivera.
“We demand greater safety for the passengers on the bus, because what happened to him was something that should have been avoided,” Rivera’s cousin, Marylou Mulero, told news station KTTV. She added that he was “a great man and no one deserved to walk the path he did.”
Campbell was charged Monday with 12 counts, including murder, carjacking, kidnapping during a carjacking, assault with a semi-automatic handgun, attempted murder and robbery.
Los Angeles Township Atty. George Gascón said at a news conference Monday that Campbell has an extensive criminal history. Gascón condemned the violence against public transport in the region.
“The actions of a few should never jeopardize the safety and security of the thousands of people who depend on this essential service,” Gascón said before addressing the public who use public transport. ” he said. “I know you may be feeling increasingly scared after all the reports about violence in the metro. I see you, I hear you, and I will do everything possible to ensure your safety.”
If convicted of the crime, Campbell faces up to 90 years in prison, officials said.
County Supervisor Janice Hahn said Campbell “if found guilty will spend the rest of his life in prison for the pain and suffering he has caused.”
“Mr. Campbell’s hijacking of a Metro bus and murder of a passenger on his way home from work shocked the city,” said Hahn, who is also chairman of the Metro Commission.
Authorities offered their condolences to Rivera’s family and praised the bus driver, Dennis Contreras, who drove at gunpoint until police disabled the vehicle and arrested Campbell.
No official motive for the hijacking has been released, but Gascón acknowledged that Campbell was on the bus for 13 minutes before shooting Rivera and hijacking the bus.
A police official, who requested anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly about the ongoing investigation, said Rivera died during an attempted robbery.
At the beginning of the hijacking, the bus driver activated a panic button that alerted police and displayed an emergency message on the outside of the bus, causing a flood of calls to 911 dispatchers. The bus recently had barriers installed to allow the driver to maintain control of the vehicle, which officials said would likely help prevent further tragedies. Such barriers are expected to be installed on all metro buses by the end of the year.
Amid a series of violent incidents on Los Angeles’ public transit systems, city leaders acknowledged the hijackings are one example of the challenges they face in keeping passengers safe. Just four months ago, Mayor Karen Bass called for increased security on transit lines after a spate of violent confrontations.
Mayor Bass acknowledged the hijacking at a press conference last week and said the city would look for new ways to detect weapons and protect both public transit passengers and drivers.
“I want to say unequivocally that what happened will not be tolerated. There is no place for it in Los Angeles and those who were arrested must be held fully accountable,” Bass said.
At Sunday’s event honoring Rivera, some members of his family wore Dodgers jerseys, while others were pictured standing next to his mother, Teresa Flores, in their high school ROTC uniforms. He was wearing a black T-shirt with a picture on it.
“I say, ‘God, why?'” Flores said, surrounded by her family, news station KABC-TV reported.
“I really miss him,” she said. “There’s so much I want to say, I can’t say it at all. I’m just shocked that they took my son away. …He’s always with me, he’s my heart. ”
Rivera was returning home from work at Dodger Stadium, according to his family.
“All he wanted was to get home safely and he couldn’t come home,” Rivera’s cousin Sarah Beck told the news station. The family has started an online fundraising campaign to cover funeral costs.
Elizabeth Mulero, 58, is 10 years older than her cousin and remembers him coming home from the hospital as a newborn.
“The first day he came home, I held him and fed him,” Mulero told the Times. “I miss him so much.”
She described Rivera as growing into a big boy and then a big man. She described him as a “teddy bear”. Rivera was a kind-hearted person who always apologized to his family for slamming the door too hard. He loved singing karaoke, watching comic book movies and the Dodgers. Although he didn’t really like sports, his entire family were Dodgers fans, so he was proud when he got a job as a parking lot attendant.
He is also a human being and “got into bad relationships with bad people,” Mulero said. He lived in a half house until recently.
Over the past few years, his family has given him an ultimatum: either quit drinking or lose your family.
“He has overcome a lot of adversity to get to this point,” Mulero said.
Over the past two years, Rivera has gotten cleaner and started spending more time with her mother. He bought her a walker and an electric scooter. They watched comedies together and gossiped about the actors as if they were friends.
Rivera was married many times but had no children. Mulero, who grew up as an only child, said all he wanted was to be a father.
“He left this world still hoping for a baby,” his cousin said in a hushed voice. “He deserved someone who loved him unconditionally, but he didn’t get it. That’s why he knew he was loved and didn’t have those anymore.” I’m glad he’s in a place where he doesn’t have to be exposed to the negative events of the world. He’s at peace and with God.”
Campbell, the alleged hijacker, is scheduled to appear in court on October 29th.
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