Man arrested for punching passenger on LA Metro bus

A man’s alleged outburst on an LA Metro bus landed him in jail Friday morning.

Just before 9 a.m., Los Angeles police officers responded to Sunset Boulevard near Bronson Avenue, where the bus driver had pulled over directly in front of Sunset Bronson Studios, home to KTLA 5 News and Netflix headquarters.

According to police, a man stepped onto the bus, began hitting a window and then punched a male passenger without warning. The passenger fought back, and the two men scuffled until the suspect got off the bus and walked away, police said.

Officers canvassed the area and found the suspect, identified as John Perez, who was booked on a battery charge.

The victim sustained a minor injury to his chin, police said. Initial reports that someone had been stabbed proved to be untrue.

“Metro thanks the Los Angeles Police Department for their timely response,” the transit agency said in a statement to KTLA. “The victim was treated at the scene for a minor injury, and LAPD quickly apprehended the suspect.”

LA Metro has been besieged by incidents of violence in recent months and years, prompting its board of directors to enact new safety measures.

This week, the board voted to expand Metro’s TAP-to-Exit program, which requires riders to tap their transit cards to exit the station in an effort to reduce the number of people skipping fares. Currently, TAP-to-Exit is only used at the North Hollywood rail station, and Metro officials have attributed the program to a measurable decrease in reported crime and violent incidents.

Last month, Metro’s board voted to create its own police force .

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