CHARLOTTE — The suspect wanted for the deadly road rage shooting of a Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS) bus driver has been arrested, police said.
During a news conference, Charlotte-Mecklenburg police said Darian Dru Thavychith, 21, was arrested in Kansas Monday night, after a two-week manhunt through four states, including North Carolina, Tennessee, Kansas and Colorado. The FBI also assisted with his arrest.
Officers in Shawnee, Kansas, were called to a gas station, where they learned Thavychith was wanted in Charlotte and arrested him.
[’Taken away’: Mother of slain CATS bus driver has message for suspect still wanted by police]
He had his first court appearance in Johnson County, Kansas Tuesday.
Police said Thavychith is being held at the Kansas adult detention center. When he returns to Charlotte, he will be charged with murder and shooting into an occupied vehicle.
“I will tell you that through any and all means that we have there’s no stone that will remain unturned. There’s no lead that won’t be followed,” CMPD Capt. Joel McNelly said.
In his first appearance Thavychith just waived extradition and will return to Charlotte to face charges.@wsoctv https://t.co/3NL6FpFOX6 pic.twitter.com/0kGHaWG0lq
— Michael Stolp (@StolpWSOC9) March 1, 2022
Ethan Rivera, 41, was shot while driving a bus along West Trade Street near South Graham Street around 9:30 p.m. on Feb. 11. Rivera died from his injuries the following day at a local hospital. Rivera had worked for CATS for just over two years, the agency said.
Officers said Ethan Rivera was driving his bus when another driver shot him. The shooting is being investigated as a road rage incident, they said.
“We pray that this apprehension brings some solace and some peace to the Rivera family,” McNelly said.
A mother relieved
The victim’s mother, Sylvia Rivera, told Channel 9′s Glenn Counts that she is thrilled with the efforts of CMPD and other law enforcements partners. She said Tuesday’s phone call was one of the best phone calls she has ever received.
“It was 7:38. I was asleep. Normally when I sleep, I heavy sleep. I don’t hear the phone but I heard that ring this morning and as soon as I saw the 704 number, I got excited. I said ‘Oh My God, Oh My God, Oh My God, this is going to be it,’ and yes it was,” she said.
Sylvia Rivera said her son’s alleged killer is a coward.
“He flew to Kansas,” she said. “That’s how much of a punk that he is and he ran. He’s a tough guy with a gun but he ran.”
Sylvia Rivera said she doesn’t want anything less of a punishment than life in prison for Thavychith.
The mother said she wants to see Thavychith in court for him to see her son’s picture so he will realize what he did.
“What do you think that will be like for you? I hope and pray that I have the strength to sit down and be quiet,” she said. “That’s what I’m praying for.”
Sylvia Rivera is grateful for the hard work that CMPD and their law enforcement partners have put into her son’s case.
“God bless you and keep up the good work,” she said. “You did a fabulous job, and I can’t thanks you enough.”
“This animal has to be taken off the street,” Sylvia Rivera told Channel 9 in February. “If this happened to my son, your child could be next, because this person didn’t care who Ethan was, or who he was leaving behind.”
[RELATED: ‘He was a good person’: Vigil held for slain CATS bus driver Ethan Rivera]
CATS employees call for change
Since his death, Ethan Rivera’s CATS co-workers have mourned his loss and protested the conditions they said contributed to the deadly shooting.
After his death, a vigil was held to remember Rivera. The following day, CATS workers and Rivera’s loved ones gathered in uptown wearing “I am Ethan” shirts and asked for more safety measures on CATS buses.
“That could have been me, left home and never went back,” said Hasson Trent, who has worked for CATS for 15 years. He said drivers are often the target of verbal and physical abuse.
Workers said they are worried Rivera’s death will not be the last if changes are not made.
“What’s it going to take? Four, five, six, seven people to die? We’re not army members; we’re in the transportation business,” Trent said.
CATS workers requested additional officers at the transit center in uptown and along their routes. They also demanded bulletproof barriers and working phones on every bus.
On Tuesday, CATS CEO John Lewis said bus drivers can breathe a sigh of relief knowing Thavychith is off the streets.
“We’ve received a bright ray of sunshine in an otherwise cloudy and dark couple of weeks for the CATS family. We are one step closer to justice for Ethan Rivera,” Lewis said.
— CATSRideTransit (@CATSRideTransit) March 1, 2022
Police said four passengers who were also on the CATS bus at the time of the shooting were not hurt.
This is an ongoing investigation.
After the shooting, CMPD released photos of the suspect, later identified as Thavychith, and his vehicle. Police said they were searching for a 2003-2005 black Honda Pilot with running boards.
Check back with wsoctv.com for updates.
(WATCH BELOW: ‘Taken away’: Mother of slain CATS bus driver talks about loss of her son)
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