Charges filed against man accused of shooting at SEPTA bus

PHILADELPHIA, PA. - Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner announced arrest of the suspect officials say shot at a SEPTA bus in a July 14 incident during a press conference on Wednesday.

The Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office collaborated with SEPTA transit police to charge 32-year-old Heriberto Acevado Jr. with aggravated assault, three counts of illegal possession of a firearm, and other related offenses.

Authorities say the July incident began when Acevado argued with the driver of a Route 57 SEPTA bus over a fare charge around 5:30 a.m. near Front and Luzerne streets. 

Acevado then allegedly exited the bus, fired one shot that hit the front windshield of the bus, and fled before police arrived. No one inside the bus was injured. 

"Anybody who is of the opinion that they can do what they want on SEPTA, oh no you can’t," Krasner said Wednesday. "We’ve got charges for you, we’ve got a jail cell for you, and we’ve got a Philly jury that rides SEPTA." 

Heriberto Acevado Jr. (right) was arrested as a suspect for shooting at a SEPTA bus in a July 14 incident (Photo/SEPTA Transit Police)

SEPTA CEO Leslie Richards claimed that Acevado’s arrest was made possible by the transportation company’s surveillance network.

"We hope this is a warning to anyone who thinks that can commit a crime on SEPTA. We are watching. We have over 30,000 cameras. It was a camera on one of our vehicles that was able to identify this particular individual, and our SEPTA police work tirelessly to find those responsible," Richards said.

Richards continued, adding that SEPTA had increased its number of transit police to improve crime prevention efforts and response times.

Krasner concluded the press conference by assuring members of the public that SEPTA is safe to ride.

"The truth is that we are in this together. The transit workers and the riders are in this together. And what that means is the more we ride, the safer we are."