Rape on Bus the Third This Year; ‘Very Uncommon,’ MTA Says

Officials from the Metropolitan Transportation Authority described the rape of an 18-year-old mentally disabled woman on a bus in Culver City as “tragic,” but extremely rare.

{snip} This is the third rape that has been reported on a bus this year. A fourth rape was reported at Union Station.

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The attack took place on the near-empty 217 bus in Culver City just after 5 p.m. on Wednesday.

Authorities said both the victim and suspect boarded the bus in Culver City at La Cienega and Jefferson boulevards.

She found a seat at the back of the bus, and the man followed her. Authorities say that without warning the man positioned himself between her legs and began sexually assaulting her over a 10-minute period.

“During the rape, an unknown witness, the only passenger on the bus, attempted to get the driver’s attention,” the Sheriff’s Department said in a statement.

The suspect then exited the bus at Sepulveda Boulevard and Slauson Avenue.

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Detectives described the attacker as a black man between 18 and 20 years old. {snip}

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