BAKERSFIELD, Calif. — The Arvin Transportation Manager, Hesham Elshazly, is facing misdemeanor charges following an incident that happened July 2.
According to police reports obtained by 23ABC, Arvin police were called out to the Arvin Transit Center just after 11 a.m. on July 2 for a report of a vandalism that had just happened.
A bus driver for Kern Transit told police she parked in front of the Arvin Transit Center to drop off and pick up her passengers. She said that's when Elshazly came out of the transit center and started "yelling at her to move her bus." The bus driver told police this isn't the first time Elshazly has approached her, going on to say he had been harassing her since May.
The driver told police that her supervisors have told her to ignore Elshazly and avoid confrontation so, normally, she parks down the street even though it's not a designated bus stop.
On that particular day, she said semi-trucks were blocking her normal spot, so she had to park in front of the transportation center.
She told police Elshazly became angry that she was ignoring him, so he punched the window, breaking it. One witness told police Elshazly kept hitting the window until it broke. Officers noted that Elshazly's hand was bleeding from a cut on his knuckle when they arrived.
Elshazly told police he has talked to Kern Transit previously and told them not to park in front of the Arvin Transit Center. He said he didn't intentionally break the window. Instead, he said he saw the bus park, he tapped on the window several times to get the driver's attention, but didn't have any luck.
He said he then saw the bus drive away and felt the driver's side rear view mirror hit him, so he punched the window.
Elshazly was placed on paid administrative leave that day and was arrested for misdemeanor vandalism and loud, unreasonable noise.
According to the city of Arvin, Elshazly returned to work on July 29 after an internal investigation by a third party. City officials tell 23ABC Elshazly was disciplined, but would not elaborate because it is a personnel matter.
On July 30, the district attorney's office formally filed charges against Elshazly and he was arraigned on August 8. He was back in court Wednesday and is scheduled to return to court next month.
