LAS VEGAS — A man is accused of stabbing another passenger on a Las Vegas bus 33 times, killing him, authorities said.
Aaron Frank Cole, 59, was indicted by a grand jury for murder with the use of a deadly weapon, according to Clark County online court records.
Cole is accused of fatally stabbing Dominique Cole, 30, on Feb. 26, as the two men rode on a Regional Transportation Commission bus, according to KLAS-TV.
The company contracted with RTC to operate busses across Las Vegas is reiterating its position that a driver could not open the vehicle's doors for several minutes as a man stabbed another man to death. https://t.co/k0h1s8TWbf
— David Charns (@davidcharns) March 24, 2023
According to surveillance video presented to the grand jury, Cole and Lucas appeared to have a heated exchange, KTNV-TV reported. The video purportedly shows Cole lunging at Luca and stabbing him, according to the television station.
“I wasn’t bothering you,” Lucas reportedly said in the video before he was allegedly attacked, according to KLAS.
According to the surveillance video, Lucas can be seen running to the front of the bus, asking the driver to open the door so he could exit the vehicle,
“Let me off,” Lucas says in the video, the television station reported.
Cole then allegedly stabbed Lucas multiple times on the floor near the front entrance of the bus before he sat down in his seat, KLAS reported.
Lucas fell to the pavement after the alleged attack once the bus doors opened, according to KTNV. The video showed the driver using a button to contact law enforcement officials, the television station reported.
The incident took about five minutes, KTNV reported.
The driver did not open the bus’ doors due to the risk of the victim or passengers running into traffic, a spokesperson for Keolis, which operates the bus, told KLAS. The spokesperson added that the bus would not be able to move if the doors were opened.
Police arrived at the scene within four minutes of the stabbing, according to the television station. The coroner’s office said Lucas died from the 33 stab wounds he sustained.
In a statement, the attorneys representing Lucas’ family said the victim’s family was “devastated” by the incident.
“What started as a simple bus ride to work ended in the heart-wrenching loss of Dominique Lucas’ life on Feb. 26,” Naqvi Injury Law said in a statement to KTNV. “His family is left devastated and searching for answers. Since new video has been shared of his final moments, Dominique’s parents and family have been forced to relive his tragic and senseless death.
“The circumstances of Dominique’s passing only add to the grief that his family is facing and the pain of living without him. His parents appreciate peace and privacy as they mourn.”
Cole remains in the Clark County Jail without bail, online records show.
