Cathedral City Police Department is searching for a local homeless man suspected in the stabbing of a SunLine bus driver traveling from Palm Desert to Palm Springs on Sunday, April 30.
The driver sustained a non-life-threatening wound to his left torso, which the Cathedral City Fire Department examined before he was transported to the Desert Regional Medical Center, according to Cathedral City Police.
Police said that the homeless man, who is described as young, was a passenger on a SunLine bus when the driver saw him smoking something near the back of the bus and used the public-address system to tell him to stop. The bus was on route to its Palm Springs destination at approximately 4:35 p.m. The man's refusal, police said, led the driver to request help from another driver at the B Street transfer area in Cathedral City. Together the drivers were able to get the man to leave the bus at the transfer area on B Street, but unfortunately that was not the end of the story.
"Once outside the bus, a physical altercation occurred between one of the drivers and the male. During the altercation, the male retrieved a knife from his rear pocket and stabbed the driver in the left torso," Cathedral City Police said.
Without delay, emergency services were called for the injured driver. In addition, officers responded to the scene, where they searched for the young man from the incident and came up empty. There is an active search in progress, and the passenger has been identified as a local homeless individual.
To assist in locating this suspect, the Cathedral City Police Department is seeking the cooperation of the public in relaying any useful information to officers at 760-770-0300. For those who prefer to remain anonymous, tips can be submitted through Coachella Valley Crime Stoppers at 760-341-STOP or the WeTip hotline at 1-800-78-CRIME. Some information may bring the tipster a cash reward.