A 55-year-old man with a felony conviction was charged Tuesday with murder for allegedly gunning down a Culver CityBus driver in Mar Vista.
Jose Antonio Zayas is set to be arraigned Nov. 5 in a downtown Los Angeles courtroom in connection with Thursday’s killing of Bruce Rodriguez.
The murder charge includes allegations that Zayas knew or reasonably should have known that the victim was a bus operator who was killed while engaged in the performance of his duties and that the defendant personally used and discharged a handgun, according to the criminal complaint.
Zayas is also charged with one count of possession of a firearm by a felon.
He could face life in prison without the possibility of parole if convicted as charged, according to the complaint.
Authorities said the bus driver was shot at about 5:15 p.m. Thursday during an apparent run-in with a passenger.
The victim was found unresponsive in the driver’s seat of the bus near Centinela Avenue and Washington Boulevard and was taken to a hospital where he was pronounced dead, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.
Zayas fled after the shooting, taking a bicycle from a rack on the front of the bus and riding away before being taken into custody, police said.
Police said the shooting may have happened over a missed stop. This video was broadcast during the NBC4 News at 5 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 2, 2026.
He was arrested without incident by the Gang and Narcotics Division FBI Task Force shortly after 2 p.m. Friday in the 3900 block of Motor Avenue, near the southern end of the street at Washington Boulevard, according to the LAPD.
Rodriguez, 42, is survived by his wife, Sandy Sanchez, and their 6- month-old and 3-year-old sons.
“Bruce loved being a dad to our two little boys” the victim’s widow told reporters at a Saturday vigil attended by hundreds of people . “He worked hard to care for us. For 12 years, he worked hard for the city of Culver City as a bus driver.”
Culver City Mayor Freddy Puza announced Thursday evening that Culver CityBus service would be suspended last weekend in response to the shooting.
“We have lost a deeply valued member of our city family to a senseless act of violence,” the mayor said. “We are grieving the loss of someone who dedicated their time and talents to serving Culver City and who made a meaningful difference through that service every day.”
Los Angeles City Councilwoman Traci Park, Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman and Los Angeles Police Department Chief Jim McDonnell are expected to discuss the investigation and the ensuing criminal case at a news conference Wednesday afternoon at Los Angeles City Hall.