A man who body slammed a Metropolitan Transportation Authority bus driver to the ground after a minor collision in Yonkers is facing elevated charges following his indictment but was allowed to remain free on the same bail set this month in local court.
Thywill Anasu, 29, pleaded not guilty Thursday, April 30, in Westchester County Court at his arraignment on charges of first- and second-degree assault.
Shortly before 8:30 pm on April 4, Anasu’s vehicle collided with an MTA bus that was making a U-turn at Riverdale and Ellsworth avenues. He and the bus driver, Johnny Rodriguez, got out and Anasu allegedly put Rodriguez in a headlock, threw his body to the ground and slammed his head and body into the ground multiple times, causing brain bleeds, Assistant District Attorney Samantha Murphy said at the arraignment.
Anasu then drove off. He was arrested by Yonkers police three days later and charged with second-degree assault. According to court documents, Anasu acknowledged his involvement in the altercation but told police the bus driver came at him aggressively so he hit him in self defense.
Anasu has been free on $50,000 bond since shortly after his Yonkers City Court appearance. But Murphy asked that the bail be raised now that Anasu is facing a more serious felony that carries a mandatory prison term. First-degree assault is punishable by between five and 25 years in prison.
The charge alleges that Anasu intentionally caused serious physical injury with a deadly weapon or dangerous instrument, in this case, the pavement, Murphy told Westchester Judge George Fufidio.
Fufidio kept the bail the same, agreeing with defense lawyer Kimberly Almonte that Anasu’s showing up to court on time Thursday after learning of the elevated charge showed he was not a flight risk. Anasu has no criminal history and, while he had been living in his truck at the time of the incident, he has lifelong ties to Westchester and the Bronx and his mother and sister were in court supporting him, Almonte said.
The lawyer said she has seen the video of the altercation and called Murphy’s account of what happened an “egregious mischaracterization.”
“My client did not grab the victim and bang him on the pavement multiple times,” Almonte said.
The felony complaint filed in City Court, based on Rodriguez’ statement to police, accused Anasu of punching the bus driver in the face multiple times.
About two dozen members of Transport Workers Union Local 100 attended the arraignment. It’s president, John Chiarello, expressed anger that Anasu’s bail was kept the same.
“Our members are not punching bags, we’re not to be spit on, beat on, stabbed, shot. We deserve to be protected,” Chiarello said. “The bail should have been raised and he should be in jail. There’s no reason this person should be on the street. Somebody who acts like that could hurt anybody.”
This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Elevated assault charge in Yonkers attack on MTA bus driver
Reporting by Jonathan Bandler, Rockland/Westchester Journal News / Rockland/Westchester Journal News
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