Accused Los Angeles bus hijacker faces murder and kidnapping charges

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

Lamont Campbell, 51, has been charged with numerous crimes in connection with the kidnapping, including auto theft, assault with a semiautomatic pistol, robbery and being a felon in possession of a weapon, Los Angeles County prosecutors said Monday.

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

Prosecutors said Campbell first boarded the Metro bus in South Los Angeles around 12:30 p.m. on Sept. 25, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office. After forcing the driver to move on at gunpoint, he led the police cars on a slow chase through the city center for an hour before they managed to stop the bus with spikes and carry out a hostage rescue.

The other passenger, who was injured and quickly released, could not be identified.

“Metro’s 12,000 employees deserve to be safe at work, and our nearly 1 million customers deserve to be safe and feel safe while traveling to and from home, to work and during leisure activities,” Metro CEO Stephanie Higgins said in a statement.

Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascon said at a news conference Monday that Campbell has an extensive criminal record, the Los Angeles Times reported. Officers also praised bus driver Dennis Contreras for his courage and calm.

Rivera's family told KABC-TV that Rivera, a former National Guardsman, was just a few blocks from home when the gunman boarded the bus.

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

The family called for more safety measures to protect passengers who rely on public transportation.

“I just miss him so much,” Rivera’s mother, Teresa Flores, told KABC-TV. “There's so much I want to say but I just can't. I'm just speechless that they took my son. … He will always be with me, he is my heart.”

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

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