A 30-year-old New Westminster man was arrested on Oct. 19 in connection with an Oct. 18 incident where a 41-year-old New Westminster woman was assaulted aboard a bus.
The incident occurred just after 11 a.m. when three women and a man boarded a bus at Eighth Avenue and 10th Street. The man, who did not know the women, started to yell at one of them. When one of the women asked him to quiet down, the man spat on her and began to kick and punch her. He then went to the front of the bus, where he threatened to punch the bus driver if he didn't let him off the bus. The man was let off at Sixth Avenue and 20th Street.
The 41-year-old woman was taken to Royal Columbian Hospital where she received stitches for injuries to her mouth and face. Her two friends were not physically hurt, but did receive assistance from victim services personnel.
A colleague of the bus driver was able to identify the suspect for police.
Brandon Joseph Johnson was arrested at his New Westminster home and has been charged with assault causing bodily harm, uttering threats and breach of probation.
Johnson is known to police and has previous convictions for assaulting a bus driver in 2006 and assaulting a police officer in 2012. He remains in custody and was scheduled for a psychiatric assessment today (Monday).
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