Woman accused of pushing elderly woman off MBTA bus faces judge

A woman accused of pushing an elderly woman off a bus last week, causing her serious injury, appeared before a judge on Thursday.

The incident happened around 1 p.m. on Sept. 8 at a bus stop on Warren Street in Boston’s Roxbury neighborhood. Video shows the victim being knocked down the stairs of the bus, flying out the front door and landing on the sidewalk.

According to witnesses, the victim fell to the pavement and remained on the ground for about 10 minutes before receiving medical attention. Paramedics arrived on the scene and transported her by ambulance to an area hospital.

Prosecutors say Luz Pineda, 32, got into an argument with the victim because the woman was blocking the exit of the bus while Pineda was trying to get off with her 3-month-old daughter. Pushing for a $10,000 cash bail, prosecutors claimed that Pineda put her hair up and took her sweatshirt off after exiting the bus in an effort to change her appearance. They further stated that Pineda had a probation history, though her attorney argued that the last issue with that was more than seven years ago.

Her attorney said Pineda was returning from a medical appointment for her daughter and stressed that she lives alone with her two children.

The judge set bail at $5,000, with conditions that Pineda stay away from the victim, any MBTA property, and any witnesses. The next court date was set for Oct. 3.

Earlier this week, neighbors and other passengers reacted with outrage about what happened.

“She could have killed her. She could have, like, beaten her so badly that she suffered a serious injury. I think it’s outrageous and very irresponsible. I think the quality of human life is being lost,” Nicole López, an MBTA passenger, told Telemundo Nueva Inglaterra.

“I honestly think it’s a bad thing… It’s wrong for them to do that. We need to tell them not to do that because it’s truly not right,” commented Rufino Medrano, another passenger.

“There’s no need to mistreat anyone, especially an elderly person, whom we should respect. They want to attack the first person they see, but it makes you feel bad. You see elderly people being mistreated and it’s not their fault. You just have to ask the world for peace,” said another passenger who did not want their name used.

The suspect in the attack was captured on security cameras inside the bus.