A 55-year-old man has been arrested in connection with the fatal shooting of a Culver CityBus driver in Mar Vista, one day after a dispute between a passenger and the driver turned deadly, according to Los Angeles police.
The shooting happened around 5:15 p.m. Thursday near Centinela and Mitchell avenues. Police said the bus was carrying four people at the time, including the driver and the passenger now identified as Jose Zayas.
Investigators said the confrontation began during an argument over the bus’s direction. Authorities said the passenger allegedly pulled a handgun from a backpack and shot the driver.
The driver, who was in his 40s, was taken to a nearby hospital after the shooting. He later died from his injuries. His name has not been publicly released.
Two other passengers were aboard the bus and were not injured, police said. Investigators have also been reviewing witness accounts and surveillance video from the bus as they work to establish the full sequence of events.
After the shooting, police said the suspect left the bus and took a bicycle before fleeing the area. Detectives later identified Zayas as the person suspected in the shooting.
LAPD officers took Zayas into custody Friday afternoon in the area of Motor Avenue. Police said he was booked on suspicion of murder, and his bail was set at $3 million. The case is expected to be presented to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office for consideration of charges.
The shooting also temporarily disrupted public transportation in Culver City. City officials suspended Culver CityBus service through the weekend as employees and colleagues mourned the driver’s death.
Mayor Freddy Puza said the driver was a valued member of the city team and expressed condolences to his family, friends and coworkers.
The investigation remains active as detectives continue reviewing evidence and determining the circumstances surrounding the shooting. The victim’s identity has not yet been released publicly.
