A Montgomery County Transit Services employee was charged Tuesday with multiple counts of assault after allegedly strangling a pregnant woman on a Ride On bus, according to a statement from Montgomery County police.
Bus driver Paul Simms of Laurel was charged with first-degree assault, second-degree assault, crime of violence against a pregnant person and reckless endangerment, the statement said.
Simms is being held at the Montgomery County Central Processing Unit in Rockville and is awaiting a bond hearing in Montgomery County District Court.
As of Wednesday afternoon, a lawyer representing Simms was not listed in online court records.
On Monday, police officers and Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service (MCFRS) crews responded to the 5400 block of Wisconsin Avenue in Chevy Chase for a reported assault, according to the statement.
Video evidence showed a verbal altercation between Simms, 36, and the pregnant woman, the statement said, before the argument escalated. Simms allegedly strangled and physically assaulted the victim before throwing her to the ground outside of the bus, according to police.
Police obtained an arrest warrant and Simms turned himself in on Tuesday, according to the statement.
