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Bus hijacking, murder suspect to enter plea in Tuesday's court hearing

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Published  October 29, 2024 8:19am PDT
Downtown LA
FOX 11

Bus hijacking, murder suspect to enter plea

The man accused of killing a passenger on a hijacked bus could enter a plea deal.

The Brief

    • Anthony Rivera, an innocent bus passenger, was shot and killed after an attempted robbery at a South LA bus stop on Sept. 25.
    • The gunman proceeded to hijack the bus and led authorities on a pursuit to downtown LA.
    • The suspect, identified as 51-year-old Lamont Campbell, is due in court Tuesday. 

LOS ANGELES - Lamont Campbell, the 51-year-old man who has been charged with hijacking a Metro bus from South Los Angeles to downtown LA and fatally shooting an innocent passenger, was due in court Tuesday.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Innocent passenger killed in downtown LA after gunman hijacks MTA bus

Campbell was expected to enter a plea during Tuesday's court hearing. 

He is accused of shooting Anthony Rivera after attempting to rob him. Then, prosecutors said he took the bus over and led police on a chase where he was eventually arrested by a SWAT team. 

Investigators said it all began around 1 a.m. on Sept. 25 on S. Figueroa Street and Imperial Highway in South LA’s Vermont Vista neighborhood when the Los Angeles Police Department received reports of a shooting. A short time later, officers became notified of a bus that was hijacked going southbound on Figueroa Street.

Video from the scene shows the moments when LAPD officers were on a slow-speed pursuit of the bus while the bus driver was being held hostage by a man armed with a gun. The pursuit lasted about an hour. 

Investigators said some passengers were able to exit the bus during the pursuit.

The bus driver, who was behind a barrier, was able to press the silent button which notified emergency crews and LAPD of the situation.  

Following multiple spike strip deployments, the bus eventually came to a stop on Alameda Street, between 6th and 7th streets, with four people inside – Campbell, the bus driver and two passengers.

As the hostage situation continued to unfold, Rivera, who was shot multiple times was rushed to an area hospital where he was pronounced dead by medical personnel. 

A celebration of life was held for Rivera a few days later.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Loved ones remember Anthony Rivera, man killed in LA Metro bus hijacking

Rivera had a number of jobs, including being a parking attendant at Dodger Stadium, which is where he was the night he was killed. 

"He was a great man and he did not deserve to go the way he did," said Marylou Mulero, Rivera's cousin.

A GoFundMe has been setup for the family for those interested in donating.