Luz Pineda, 32, Accused Of Shoving An Elderly MBTA Rider In Boston, Held On $5K Bail For Assault.

A 32-year-old woman, Luz Pineda, is accused of pushing a 63-year-old passenger off an MBTA bus in Boston after a dispute over blocking the exit, prosecutors said Thursday.

Pineda pleaded not guilty in Roxbury District Court to assault and battery on an elder or disabled person causing injury. The September 8 incident, captured on video near Martin Luther King Boulevard and Warren Street in Roxbury, reportedly began when Pineda asked the woman to move from the exit of the crowded bus. When the woman refused, Pineda allegedly shouted at her, kicked her shopping cart off the bus, and then shoved her onto the sidewalk.

Prosecutors said the victim suffered a concussion, an eye injury, and a broken blood vessel in her neck and eye, and has no memory of the attack. Surveillance footage later showed Pineda removing her sweatshirt and putting her hair in a bun as if to disguise herself and avoid identification, according to prosecutors.

The incident gained attention after a witness posted a video online, which investigators matched with bus surveillance footage. Neighbors and anonymous sources allegedly identified Pineda in the clip.

Pineda’s attorney said she was returning from a medical appointment with her 3-month-old premature baby and that the victim had blocked her exit. Pineda has prior charges, including assault and battery on a family member and a probation violation for cocaine trafficking.

A judge set her bail at $5,000 and ordered her to avoid the victim, witnesses, and MBTA property. She’s scheduled for a pretrial hearing on October 3.

MBTA General Manager Phillip Eng praised transit police for their quick response and emphasized that unsafe behavior will not be tolerated on the transit system.

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