Man charged with killing Metro passenger in bus hijacking ordered to stand trial
The man who is charged with shooting and killing a Metro passenger as he allegedly hijacked a bus and led police on a slow South Los Angeles pursuit last year has been ordered to stand trial on murder and other charges.
Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Sean D. Coen found there was "sufficient cause" to allow the case against Lamont Campbell, 51, to proceed to trial. The decision came after Thursday's hearing that included testimony from the bus driver and two of the passengers.
Campbell faces counts of murder, carjacking, and kidnapping as part of a dozen felony charges filed against him in connection with the Sept. 25, 2024 incident.
Prosecutors said earlier that Campbell had boarded the bus at the corner of Figueroa Street and Vernon Avenue in South LA before pulling out a gun and opening fire on passenger Anthony Rivera. The 48-year-old Los Angeles resident and victim was riding the bus to get home from work. Family members of Rivera said he had just finished a shift at Dodger Stadium that night.
Campbell allegedly shot Rivera multiple times before threatening the driver. LA Metro said earlier that another passenger was injured while trying to flee. The LA Metro driver managed to reach police by pressing a 911 emergency button on the bus. He was allegedly held at gunpoint for over an hour with "Emergency" and "911 Call Police" flashing on the bus's front light display as the suspect ordered him to drive, triggering a slow police pursuit.
During Thursday's testimony, the bus driver Dennis Contreras said he bypassed bus stops with passengers who had been waiting to board and honked to alert oncoming vehicles about the bus.
At one point, the gunman allowed one passenger to leave the bus but ordered another to remain aboard, and at another point, he was eating and playing music on his cell phone, the bus driver said.
Police laid down two spike strips and the bus came to a stop in downtown Los Angeles after a 45-minute pursuit. Campbell allegedly barricaded himself in the bus, leading SWAT officers to shoot bean bags and stun grenades, ultimately taking the suspect into custody.
Contreras testified that he "said goodbye to my family" after the bus came to a stop after the police pursuit, saying that he was worried about a possible standoff and shooting. Officers broke the driver's side window and pulled him through it to safety.
Campbell, who allegedly has a string of drug-related convictions dating back as far as 1993, has remained behind bars since his arrest. He is due back in court for arraignment on June 26.
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