A bus driver who worked for Lane Transit District since 2003 was arrested Thursday for calling in a bomb threat. Traffic was shut down traffic for more than an hour near the University of Oregon.
The call came in just after 4 o'clock saying there was a bomb on board an LTD bus on Franklin Boulevard. Police and the bomb squad responded. A K-9 trained to sniff out explosives found no device on board. The driver of the bus, 56-year-old Alex Reutov, was arrested for calling in the threat. Charges include Interfering with Public Transportation and Disorderly Conduct. LTD Spokesman Andy Vobora says the driver is well-liked by fellow employees.
Vobora: "Alex is a veteran driver with us with no history, with no kind of issues like this and it's clear that there was some kind of a mental kind of issue that happened. It's very unfortunate for him and we wish the best for him as they try to figure out what happened. We're certainly glad that there was no actual device on the bus."
Reutov was profiled in a UO Journalism School magazine article three years ago. He said he fled his Russian homeland with his wife and young son after being persecuted for their Christian beliefs. They came to the United States in 1989.
