By City News Service
A 24-year-old Reseda man was behind bars Wednesday on suspicion of punching a Metro bus driver during a fare dispute in the Studio City area.
Anthony Gamez was arrested Tuesday night, just hours after county Supervisor and Metro board chairman Mike Antonovich announced a $25,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of the assailant.
Metro officials said Gamez was also being investigated in connection with another assault on a bus driver that occurred at 1:40 p.m. Monday at Fallbrook Avenue and Roscoe Boulevard in West Hills.
The assault occurred 7:35 p.m. Friday as the bus was being driven along Ventura Boulevard and Laurel Canyon Boulevard, officials said. The driver was knocked unconscious, according to Paul Gonzales of Metro.
According to Metro and sheriff's officials, an Orange Line bus driver recognized the suspect around 10:30 p.m. Tuesday. Gamez was allegedly wearing the same clothing depicted in surveillance photos of the assault suspect that were circulated when the reward was announced earlier in the day.
The driver called the Metro dispatch center and deputies from the sheriff's Transit Service Bureau arrested Gamez when he got off the Orange Line bus at Canoga Avenue and Oxnard Street in Van Nuys, according to Metro. He was booked around 11:30 p.m. Tuesday and remained jailed in lieu of $20,000 bail.
Gonzales said it was unclear if the Orange Line driver would be eligible to collect the $25,000 reward. He said Metro policy generally excludes employees from receiving such rewards.
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