Crime & Safety

Two NYC Men Charged in Alleged Assault of Jitney Bus Driver in Fort Lee

The incident occurred late Sunday night at an eastbound Bridge Plaza bus slip, Port Authority police say

Two New York City men were arrested in Fort Lee late Sunday night, after they allegedly assaulted a jitney bus driver—punching him in the eye—in an apparent dispute over bus fare, and then ran away from an eastbound Bridge Plaza bus stop near the George Washington Bridge, police said. 

Port Authority police charged Manuel Bravo, 33, and Saul Moracho, 29, both of New York, with robbery and assault.

The jitney driver pulled into the eastbound bus slip on the New Jersey side and was transferring his passengers from his jitney to a New York-bound bus, when the two men allegedly attempted to exit the bus without paying a fare, Port Authority police spokesman Al Della Fave said.  

Find out what's happening in Fort Leewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

"As they were exiting the bus, [the driver] requested payment from them; they refused to pay, stating that they had already paid. An altercation ensued. Both of them, the driver alleges, assaulted him, with Bravo striking him [in the eye], and then they fled the scene," Della Fave said. 

Della Fave said an eyewitness called 911, and Port Authority patrols in the area were alerted. Port Authority police officer Michael Barnable, with the assistance of officers Carlos Naut and Alex Baez, caught up with the two suspects on nearby Lemoine Avenue roughly five minutes later at about 11:45 p.m. Sunday, and arrested them “without incident,” Della Fave said.

Find out what's happening in Fort Leewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Bravo and Moracho were intoxicated at the time of the incident, he added. 

The driver, whom Port Authority police identified only as a 57-year-old Fairview man, was treated for a swollen eye at Englewood Hospital and Medical Center and released.

Bravo and Moracho are currently being held in the Bergen County Jail in lieu of $50,000 bail with a 10 percent option, Della Fave said.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

To request removal of your name from an arrest report, submit these required items to arrestreports@patch.com.