Boston woman ordered to stay off MBTA after pushing 63-year-old off bus

A Boston woman will spend three months on home confinement and must stay off of all MBTA vehicles after she admitted to pushing a 63-year-old woman off a bus last month.

Luz Pineda, 32, admitted to the assault in Boston Municipal Court in Roxbury on Friday, according to the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office. The case was continued without a finding for two years, meaning that if she obeys the conditions set by a judge, the charges will be dismissed after that time.

Just after 1 p.m. on Sept. 8, Pineda got into an argument with the victim over the 63-year-old woman not getting off the bus to let Pineda out at the bus stop at Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and Warren Street. The altercation then turned physical, with Pineda pushing the victim off the bus and onto the sidewalk.

Surveillance video from the area obtained by WCVB shows a person landing face-first on the sidewalk after being pushed out of the bus, MassLive previously reported. Video from inside the bus shows the younger woman appear to push the older woman out of the doorway, then throw a shopping cart onto her.

When police arrived, they found the victim bleeding from her head with a laceration on the outer corner of her left eye.

After leaving the bus, Pineda, who had an infant with her, changed her clothing and hair style to avoid being identified, police said.

Pineda was charged with one count of assault and battery on an elder or disabled person with injury.

In addition to three months of GPS-monitored home confinement, except for medical appointments, and staying off the MBTA for two years, Pineda will be required to complete anger management, continue with mental health treatment and have no contact with the victim.

The news comes two weeks after U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy called attention to the case as an example of cities’ “failure to keep riders and transit workers safe.” He ordered transit officials in Boston and Chicago, which also saw a recent attack on a Chicago Transit Authority worker, to provide reports on public safety efforts and what federal funding they receive.

“While local leaders seem intent on putting the needs of criminals first, we’re not waiting for the next Iryna,” he said, referring to the fatal stabbing of Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska on a North Carolina commuter train in August. “Chicago and Boston are on notice to take actions that enhance safety and reduce the crime affecting their riders and transit workers – or risk federal support. This is about standing up for American families who deserve a safe and clean transportation system.”