A Long Beach man has been arrested for allegedly attacking a 12-year-old boy on a city bus over the weekend, police said on Thursday, Sept. 9.
David Manuel Santana Garcia, 36, was taken into custody on Wednesday and booked on suspicion of child cruelty, assault with a deadly weapon and battery, according to the Long Beach Police Department. He was held on $100,000 bail, police said.
According to police, the boy reported he was physically assaulted by a man while riding a city bus about 1:50 p.m. Sunday near Atlantic Avenue and Carson Street.
“At this time, the assault appears to have been unprovoked,” police said in a statement. “The victim sustained non-life-threatening injuries to the upper body.”
Police circulated surveillance images of the suspect, and Garcia was arrested about 1:15 p.m. Wednesday near Atlantic Avenue and San Antonio Drive, police said.
The boy’s father, Billy Brown, told ABC7 that his son is recovering, but won’t be getting back on the bus anytime soon.
“This guy just started hitting my son in the head like he was on UFC or something,” Brown said.
