Teen accused of killing bus driver over $2.50 fare turns self in, Georgia cops say
A third person accused in the fatal shooting of a 47-year-old bus driver in Georgia was arrested after multiple days on the run, the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority told news outlets.
The individual turned himself in to DeKalb County police on Monday, Jan. 6, and was charged with murder in the death of bus driver Leroy Ramos, transit officials said in a news release.
According to MARTA police, three juveniles argued with Ramos on Jan. 3 at the Decatur Station. The dispute was suspected to be over a $2.50 fare, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution and other news outlets reported.
“It turned physical and one of the suspects pulled out a handgun and shot our bus operator three times,” MARTA Police Chief M. Scott Kreher told Decaturish.com. A bystander was also injured, a spokesperson told the outlet.
The trio then fled the station, Kreher told Decaturish.com.
Two of the suspects were arrested that evening, and the third remained on the run before turning himself in Monday, according to police.
“The names and ages of the three suspects will not be released, as they are juveniles,” authorities said. “They have been charged as adults.”
Family and friends remembered Ramos as a loving husband and father.
“He was the type of man that would show up for anyone and everyone, even if he didn’t know them,” according to a GoFundMe page for the family. “Just one call or encounter, and he would sacrifice his last to help! A man who valued life itself.”
The Amalgamated Transit Union, which represents transit workers across the U.S. and Canada, said Ramos recently moved from New York and was only “on the job for a few months,” WXIA reported.
In a statement, MARTA said it was “devastated” over Ramos’ loss and is committed to keeping its employees and passengers safe.
The transit authority pointed to its “strict de-escalation policy,” for which operators receive ongoing training, and cited a spike in violence toward transit drivers that began during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Our frontline workers are the backbone of this organization and MARTA leadership and police will continue working to protect and support our operators to ensure they feel safe on the job and well trained to react in escalating situations,” MARTA said.
Decatur is about a 10-mile drive northeast from downtown Atlanta.
This story was originally published January 7, 2025 at 1:15 PM with the headline "Teen accused of killing bus driver over $2.50 fare turns self in, Georgia cops say."