What to Know
- Man admitted to assaulting a pregnant, on-duty NJ Transit bus driver earlier this year, prosecutors and the transportation agency announced
- Andre Dawson III pleaded guilty to a single count of third-degree aggravated assault, according to Union County prosecutors
- Sentencing is scheduled for June 7; Prosecutors will recommend a sentence of eight years in state prison.
A man admitted to assaulting a pregnant, on-duty New Jersey Transit bus driver earlier this year, prosecutors and the transportation agency jointly announced Friday.
Andre Dawson III pleaded guilty to a single count of third-degree aggravated assault, according to Union County prosecutors.
The attack occurred Jan. 28 in Elizabeth at around 4:35 p.m., according to prosecutors.
Police officers responding to a reported assault found the driver had been robbed of her cell phone and suffered with bumps, cuts and bruises, prosecutors previously said. The attacker allegedly fled before officers arrived.
The victim was treated at Trinitas Regional Medical Center in Elizabeth for her injuries.
Investigators identified Dawson, of Union Township, as the suspect and was arrested in February. He was originally charged with robbery, assault and assault on a bus operator.
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“At NJ Transit, the safety and security of our employees and customers are paramount,” NJ Transit Executive Director Kevin S. Corbett said in a statement. “Let this guilty plea serve as an example for anyone contemplating to harm one of our bus operators, train crew members, or any one of our employees that their actions will not be tolerated, and they will be apprehended and aggressively prosecuted.”
Sentencing is scheduled for June 7. Prosecutors will recommend eight years in state prison.
