Man Arrested in Tulsa Bus Stabbing
A 42-year-old man in Oklahoma has been arrested for allegedly slashing the throat of a woman in an unprovoked attack aboard a city bus in Tulsa.
Police identified the suspect as Robert J. Rhoades, who now faces charges of assault with a deadly weapon and false impersonation, along with a fugitive from justice warrant out of Missouri.
According to Tulsa Police, the incident occurred around 1:09 p.m. on Sunday at a bus station in the 300 block of S. Cheyenne Avenue. Witnesses told officers that the suspect had fled the scene on foot. Bicycle patrol officers quickly located Rhoades at 100 S. Denver Avenue and took him into custody without incident.
Police reported finding visible blood on Rhoades’ clothing, as well as a bloody knife in his pocket.
The victim, a 43-year-old woman, was rushed to a local hospital in critical condition. Detectives from the Homicide Unit were initially called due to the severity of her injuries. Police said both Rhoades and the victim had boarded the bus at a Walmart stop on 81st and Lewis. Without any prior interaction or conversation, Rhoades allegedly reached around and sliced the victim’s throat as the bus arrived at the main station.
The woman underwent emergency surgery and was stabilized, with doctors expressing hope for her full recovery.
Investigators are awaiting security footage from a camera inside the bus to further confirm the details of the attack.
Rhoades remains in custody at the Tulsa County Jail without bond. Court records do not yet indicate when he is scheduled to make his first appearance.
