News-Times Wednesday, June 27, 2012 Phone: 503-357-3181 www.fgnewstimes.com NEWS A11

refused to name the driver. But both the mother who was

kicked off the bus, her teenage daughter, and the only other adult passenger at the time say they are certain Hendren was the bus driver, based on a photo of Hendren that was released last fall.

Planning to payRegardless of who was driv-

ing the bus, it is clear from pub-lic records and interviews with the people in the June 7 inci-dent that the argument be-tween the driver and the moth-er, Maria Ruiz of Cornelius, be-came heated. So heated that the other passenger, Michael Canoy of Beaverton, called Forest Grove police for help.

Officer Ernesto Villaraldo, who responded to the incident, didn’t fi le a police report or take the driver’s name. But his re-port to Washing-ton County emer-gency dispatchers provides a sketch of what happened that night.

According to the dispatch report, at 10:55 p.m. on June 7, Canoy flagged down Villaraldo at a bus stop at the west end of Line 57, on the cor-ner of 19th Avenue and B Street in Forest Grove.

A brief two-page synopsis of the dispatch conversation re-ports that the bus driver told Villaraldo that Ruiz got on the bus and gave her some expired tickets. The bus driver then told Villaraldo that she was running late and wanted the mother and her four children off the bus.

Villaraldo reported that Ruiz and her children were all cry-ing. Ruiz told Villaraldo that she had assured the driver she was going to pay, but the driver wouldn’t listen, repeating com-

mands that she get off the bus. At one point, Ruiz told Villaral-do that she had told the driver to “shut up.”

After talking to Ruiz, Vil-laraldo told the driver that Ruiz planned pay, but the driver wasn’t swayed.

“She (the driver) wanted them off the bus because she was already four minutes late and did not want people crying on the bus,” Villaraldo report-ed.

Ruiz and her children left the bus and Villaraldo drove them to their home in Cornelius. They had been visiting family in Forest Grove that day.

On thin iceCanoy, the only other rider

on the bus that night, said Ruiz was rude and belligerent to-wards the driver, calling her names. He initially called 9-1-1, at the driver’s request, but hung

up when he saw Villaraldo and fl agged him down.

Canoy said he told Ruiz she shouldn’t speak to the driver like that.

In an interview with the News-Times, Canoy said he sympathized with the driver’s need to keep her route on schedule.

“It’s just not nice,” he said of

how Ruiz was treating the driv-er. “I felt sorry for (the driver).”

Canoy said Ruiz ignored the driver when she was told her tickets had expired and went to the back of the bus. Canoy was sitting in the front of the bus near the driver, who never got up from her seat. Canoy said he could tell Ruiz was upset, but he felt the driver acted appro-priately.

“She didn’t make any adverse comments,” Canoy said of the driver.

Ruiz, however, told the News-Times that the driver started yelling at her and her children

that it wasn’t “a free bus” and she had to pay or get off. Ruiz said she was trying to get the money for the fare out of her purse, but the driver wouldn’t listen. Canoy was also yelling at her, Ruiz said.

During the interaction, her children began crying. Ruiz said she didn’t know the tickets were invalid when she boarded.

Ruiz’s 13-year-old daughter,

Samantha Ruiz, said the driver was indifferent to how upset they were.

“She saw us crying and she didn’t care,” Samantha said.

TriMet spokeswoman Mary Fetsch said the incident is un-der investigation and it could be complete by the end of the week. Until then, she can’t re-lease the name of the driver. For now, the driver is on paid

administrative leave.“Whenever we do an investi-

gation we typically put them on administrative leave,” Fetsch said.

But TriMet made it clear last year that real consequences could come from incidents like these.

Last year, Hendren was rein-stated after a 10-day suspen-sion, but Fetsch told the Portland Tribune at the time that Hendren was on thin ice.

“She has been given one last chance to meet our customer service standards,” Fetsch said in November.

TriMet: Agency refused to name driver■ From page 1

NEWS-TIMES PHOTO: CHASE ALLGOOD

According to 9-1-1 dispatch records, the heated interaction that led to a mother and her children being told to leave the bus took place at this Forest Grove bus station located at the intersection of B Street and 19th Avenue.

TriMet spokeswoman Mary Fetsch said the incident is under investigation and it could be complete by the end of the week.

FELLOWSHIP COMMUNITY CHURCH

Now meeting at the Seventh-day Adventist Church

corner of Pacific Ave & Mtn View LaneSundays

9:30am - Bible School10:30am - Worship Celebration

503-438-6791 022311

Worship every Sunday morning at 9:30 am

with Holy Communion served on the 1st and 3rd Sunday each month.

1124 S. Beech Street • Cornelius503-357-3377

www.emanuelluth.org

Emanuel Lutheran Church

Coffee and conversation are offered after worship service.

0613

12

10 a.m. Sundays1728 Main St • 503.357.9104

exchangechurch.com“Exchange your life for His.”

St. Anthony’s Catholic Church

1660 Elm Street • Forest Grove

A Welcoming and Diverse Community

Masses Saturday Vigil 5:30pm

Sunday 9:30am, Noon in Spanish, 5:30pm English

Youth Mass.

Please visit our website: www.stanthonysforestgrove.org

for updated information

503-357-2989 111010

-St. Bede Episcopal Church

1609 Elm StreetForest Grove, OR 97116

Sunday Service: 10:00 amChild care available

Wednesday - Eucharist: 1:15 pmThursday - Evening Prayer: 5:00 pm

503-357-5300 www.bedesinthegrove.com

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YOUR FAITH DIRECTORYYOUR FAITH DIRECTORY

Mt. Olive Lutheran Church2327 17th Avenue

Forest Grove503-357-2511

Sunday Services 8:30 & 10:30 a.m.

Sunday School & Adult Bible Class

9:30 a.m.www.mtoliveforestgrove.org

020911

041112

Join us Sundays 9 or 11 am2835 19th Ave. #700

www.isonrise.com • 503.640.2449

First BaptistForest Grove

9:30 A.M. Sunday Schoolall ages

10:45 A.M. Worship Service child care provided

2224 15th Ave. • 503-357-6712

090810

0713

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Dayspring Christian FellowshipSunday Worship

10:00am

100 N. Main St., Banks, OR503-324-3800503-324-3800

Our ministries, weekly sermons and more at www.banksdcf.org

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St. Peter’s Lutheran ChurchSUNDAY 8:00 am

Non-traditional Service9:15 am Sunday School/Adult Bible Study

10:30 am Traditional ServiceWED NIGHTS September 14 – Nov 2 6:00 – 8:15 pm FREE food for the body,

FREE food for the Soul for all ages

4265 SW Golf Course Road, Cornelius, OR 97113, (503) 357-3863Everyone Welcome!

If your place of

worship

is interested in

appearing here

please call

503-357-3181

0380

.061

312

Forest Grove High School class of 1977 reunion will be July 20 and 21, 2012. Friday’s no-host informal get together will be at McMenamin’s Grand Lodge, with Saturday’s reunion dinner and dance at the Hillsboro Elks. Tickets must be purchased before July 14 (no tickets at the door). For more info and tickets, see http://fghs1977.weebly.com or email fghs1977@gmail.com

CLASS REUNION

0630

.062

012