Boston transit police seek woman who shoved elderly passenger off bus, leaving her with broken bones

Boston transit police are searching for a woman captured on surveillance video pushing an elderly passenger off a city bus on Sept. 8, an assault that left the victim with multiple injuries including broken bones.

The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) Transit Police said the assault occurred at about 1 p.m. at the intersection of Martin Luther King Boulevard and Warren Street in the Roxbury neighborhood. Video released by authorities shows the suspect pushing the victim twice; after the second shove the woman fell face first onto the concrete sidewalk.

Transit police said the suspect fled the scene before officers arrived. The department posted four clear surveillance photos on social media showing a woman with long red-and-black hair pulled into a ponytail, a visible neck tattoo, a black sweatshirt and light-blue jeans. Police said the woman had a baby with her when the assault took place.

The MBTA named the charge as assault and battery on an elderly person and asked anyone with information to contact its criminal investigations unit. In a post on X, the department urged the public to come forward and wrote, "You can remain anonymous. Let's ID her!!"

Passengers captured in the video appeared to watch as the incident unfolded; some later offered aid to the injured woman. Local television quoted a commuter, Joseph Drayton, saying, "It's horrifying. To have an elderly woman pushed like that is reprehensible." Social media posts about the incident expressed outrage at both the attack and what some commenters described as a lack of intervention by other riders.

Some residents and online commenters linked the attack to broader concerns about safety on Boston public transit. Critics pointed to the city’s homicide count this year; the Boston Globe reported 24 homicides so far, tying last year’s total. City officials and law enforcement have noted that overall violent crime in Boston has fallen this year despite the increase in homicides.

MBTA Transit Police said investigators are continuing to review surveillance footage and follow up on tips. The department asked anyone with information to contact the MBTA Transit Police criminal investigations unit; callers can remain anonymous.

No arrests had been announced by police as of the latest update. The victim’s name and condition beyond the description of multiple injuries and broken bones were not released by authorities.