Loved ones remember Anthony Rivera, man killed in LA Metro bus hijacking
ROSEMEAD, Calif. - A celebration of life for Anthony Rivera - the 48-year-old allegedly shot to death by 51-year-old Lamont Campbell, who's accused of hijacking a Metro bus early Wednesday morning after midnight.
"He was a great man and he did not deserve to go the way he did," said Marylou Mulero, Rivera's cousin.
The driver was said to be calm and collected, even as a parade of LAPD black and whites followed for an hour until the bus was stopped by spike strips and SWAT team officers who used flash grenades to storm the bus and arrest Campbell.
Rivera had a number of jobs, including being a parking attendant at Dodger Stadium, which is where he was the night he was killed.
RELATED COVERAGE: Innocent passenger killed in downtown LA after gunman hijacks MTA bus
Mulero said Rivera was coming home from work. She described him as special saying, "Anthony was an amazing man. He was very gentle. He was always very giving. Whenever you needed something he was always there for you."
She said he also liked motorcycles.
"It was unfortunate because he had a bike and he had gotten into an accident right before he decided to take the bus again…" she said.
Otherwise, she said, he wouldn't have been on that bus.
According to Mulero he was divorced and had no kids, but his friends and family were sizeable.
RELATED COVERAGE: Metro bus hijacking raises more security concerns
When I took a moment to speak privately with Rivera's mother, she shared how hard all of this was - much like she did Saturday at an event for parents of murdered children.
"Why God… why is this happening. He was the love of my life. I didn't need a man. I had him," she said.
And on bus safety Mulero says, the family is united.
"We demand more safety for passengers on those bu4ses because what happened to him was an event that should have been preventable."
Meanwhile the suspect in this bus-hijacking/murder is scheduled to be in court Monday morning.
RELATED COVERAGE: Metro to hold public meeting about new police force following deadly bus hijacking
"...we will all be there no matter what," said Mulero.
A GoFundMe has been setup for the family for those interested in donating.