TriMet driver on paid leave after woman says he exposed himself
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PORTLAND, Ore. – Wayne Hortona is outraged after his wife told him she was sexually assaulted by a TriMet bus driver.
Hortona's wife said she was alone on the bus when the driver wouldn't let her get off and then exposed himself to her.
"I know he took advantage of her," Hortona said. "He took her kindness for weakness."
His wife was still upset Wednesday to talk about the incident. Hortona said she's still pretty shaken and feels ashamed. He said it took her a couple days to tell him what happened.
She told him it was Friday night when she was the only passenger on the 70 bus. She was stuck on the bus till the end of the line and couldn't get off until after she said the driver assaulted her.
Hortona said he isn’t sure what is worse, seeing his wife in so much pain or feeling like he let her down.
"I was telling her you can trust this bus system," Hortona said. "He had pictures of his private parts on his phone ... (that) he tried to show my wife. And then he said, 'Better yet' – that's when he exposed himself."
His wife didn't tell him until Sunday. She was at a Southeast Portland bus stop and spotted the same bus driver and called her husband so she could confront the driver with her husband by her side.
"She said, 'why don't you tell my husband what you told me? Why don't you show my husband what you showed me?' And he's standing there and he's smoking a cigarette and he's shaking like a leaf," Hortona said.
Hortona then filed a complaint with TriMet and a police report.
TriMet declined to give details about the complaint, but it said it is investigating and the driver is on paid administrative leave.
But Hortona doesn't want that driver behind the wheel ever again.
"I don't think she'll ever feel OK being on the bus again. These are the people we trust," he said. "These are the people we trust with our children."
Hortona said he rushed to file the complaint with TriMet so that any possible video from cameras onboard the bus wouldn't be recorded over.
KATU News requested that video. According to TriMet, it typically takes several days to fill that request but it may be longer if there is an ongoing investigation.
Last time there was a case like this, Trimet still had the tapes several months later. Which could be a bad thing for someone . . . .
I just realized that there's probably a very easy solution to this, even if the tape on the bus has been deleted or taped over. If the bus driver had a picture of his "manhood" on his cell phone, even if it's been erased, it should still show on the software of the phone if there was such a photo.
wait, dont they have like 3 cameras on every bus?
omg a penis.. sue everyone
senor hortano and his senora scam... preying on tmets bad press lately, and banking on tmets deep pockets. couple is in financial bind, and hoping tmet settles with some cash. watch, this story will fade fast...
" Arnold " you are an ....IDIOT.......
 @arnold Exactly. They waited long enough to make sure the video is erased so they can't be charged with filing a false police report. Meanwhile the poor driver will have his career ruined by the pair.
I'm ready to hear how the investigation turns out. Though, I would think that going to the police to file charges would be the first step of action instead of filing a complaint with Trimet. If there's video of the interaction, I think that will tell-all. Though on a side note, I must wonder, if you're a passenger on a bus, and the driver won't let you out, why not call the police or husband at that point?
Boxers or briefs?
@WendyTeagarden Ant-eater or mushroom?
@WendyTeagarden Depends.....
Is exposing yourself considered "assault?"
@UtterReality I think it ends up being the intent, and someone exposing him/herself is typically doing so to get a "rise" out of themself, and unless the other person is willing, it's not a mutual "rise". I think this would be the difference between "exposure" and nudists, one is doing it for the thrill, the other is doing it as more of a way of being.
@UtterReality....have you SEEN those drivers?
What area of his body did he expose? Zone 1 Zone 2 or Zone 3
@USCitizen...hairless square
 @USCitizen Silly human...there aren't any zones anymore.
This doesn't totally surprise me. "He said/she said" problem with... ta-da!... no witnesses. It makes the perfect victimization scenario. I knew a woman who was mentally handicapped to be taken of advantage of sexually by a TriMet driver but there was no way to stop this as she is legally an adult even though she now (due to head injury) is like a 12 yr old girl mentally. His wife figured this out and put a stop to it.Â
The fact is that there are lecherous guys out there who take advantage of vulnerable women's and girls' situations way too often and most all of them never get reported or caught or held accountable. I don't know enough about this current TriMet story but I do know and have worked with survivors of sex crimes and this story does sound plausible, and the husband seems credible on camera. People hate to have an innocent guy blamed but people: a) have little understanding of victim response in sex crimes and b) rarely believe victims of sex crimes and/or (blame) hold the woman/teen responsible for her own sex-crime victimization which is wrong in every way.
 @whirledworld Isn't it possible it's the drive that's the victim here? The couple has the perfect story with the right amount of timing.
This was discussed last night, $,$$$,$$$ and the
Tri-Met video(s) will tell it all...
This is an outrage ! That man needs to be in jail ! and our tax payer money is being givin to him for a time off ? whats next ?
@silvereye007 way to get all the evidence before throwing him in jail. I guess guilty until proven innocent should be e court system to you.
@silvereye007 It's probably in the union contract.
The story doesn't make sense. Where did the alleged "assault" happen? The the woman counting on the fact the video is likely erased and all they'll have is her word?
 @Jamie That was my first thought when I read the article. If a bus driver would not let me off I would go to the back and pull the emergency switch to open the door. I can't say I believe it either. If something like that happened to me I would tell my husband. Also, if she was that upset by the incident, didn't the husband press her for what was bothering her? I mean if he is any type of good husband and she was "that" distraught, he should have known something was up.
 @Willow  @Jamie if the bus driver does not let you off at your stop, for any reason other than the stop be closed due to construction issues, it is KIDNAPPING.  I think there is MORE to the story than is being reported.  Someone is not telling the whole truth.  NOT saying who though.....Furthermore NO news organization should be allowed to see ANY tape of this as it violates laws, and unless BOTH parties sign waivers(which I doubt).  it should NEVER be shown.......PERIOD
 @Willow  @Jamie  You are only hypothesizing based on your own narrow life experience and imaginings. What *you* "think" you would do in the same circumstances is irrelevant as every woman's response is and can be very different from one another's ...and even whatever you really believe you would do, can and very often does turn out to be very different under the actual circumstances. What her husband did or did not do compared to what you think a husband *should* do is irrelevant as well, since all men are different with different ideas and feelings and thoughts, and all cultural responses and perceptions of events are different as well.
Until proven, he is actually innocent. So many want to hurry up and hang him, and hang trimet...yet someone needs to have real proof. What happened to "Innocent until proven guilty?"
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He may have done it, but so for from the story it looks kind of odd to say the least. People need to curb their lust for blood unti the axe falls.
@Just Lookin I agree, I'm awaiting the results of the investigation.
I didn't realize that flashing someone counts as sexual assault. Guess I better stop showing my tits.Â
( . )( . )
@badcat Well, the twins are probably fine, but you might have to keep the "kitty" covered up.
 @badcat Well, just don't do it on the bus anymore.
So if she has a cell phone, why didn't SHE take a picture. Sounds like the "finger-in-the-chili" Wendy's lawsuit.
@nostromo I'll remember that the next time someone exposes themself to me, I'll take a picture since it'll last longer!!!
 @pdxd  @nostromo I don't think you need to worry.
 @nostromo She might have been too utterly freaked out to do anything.
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 @baalzebubba  @arnold  @whirledworld YOU. And who, besides you, mentioned ethnicity?
 @arnold  @whirledworld  @nostromo wow. lose your wife to a Hispanic with a better attitude? someone twake yer jawwwwb? Got a case of serious mexi hate. Do tell... who else isn't good enough for you?
Not saying it could not have happened; we all know such things do happen... but the way she and her husband handled it seems strange to me... Â something not quite right here... Â reserving judgment pending further information...
I'm calling shenanigans!  Everybody knows they have camera's on the buses, and I really don't think he would be as stupid to do this! and I for one, had this happened to me, I would of called 9-1-1 immediately when he/she wouldn't let me off the bus and was acting inappropriately.Â
 @donald_duck it happens they should of taken care of it THAT day not wait, the quicker the better.  SOMEONE wants $$$$$ out of this, if not true then Tri-Met, the driver and the husband & wife are now all going to been seen as guilty.  lets WAIT for all the FACTS before we judge.
Sorry but her story doesn't ring true. I'm pretty sure all the drivers know there are cameras on board.
 @Freckled_Girl yes.  the front to the back, the back to the middle, the driver is in 'frame' the whole time for safety reasons.
 @Freckled_Girl Not to mention the couple waited long enough to make sure the video is erased so they won't get charged with filing a false police report.
You don't wait two days to tell your husband! You walk in the door yelling at the top of your lungs ..., and you run for the phone! Then, he confronts the driver before he "ever" calls the police? Did I miss something? Did this really happen this way? If so, she's more afraid of her husband than she is the bus driver.Â
 @R. Gess Smith police do all the confronting, NOT John Q. Citizen.   Please, when does a regular person(if so) ever been in the RIGHT to confront anyone ON A PUBLIC street????? WRONG........never wait 2 days, that is BS.  I think the driver might of been shaking as he was being 'grilled' for something he might not of done.  Furthermore drivers are NOT to be using their cell phones while operating the bus.  Only when OUTSIDE & physically off the bus, not even stopped
 @R. Gess Smith Shame can do a lot to keep a victim from speaking about what happened.
If indeed this is true that man needs to be fired or the City will be forking over a few thousand for another Lawsuit. We can't really understand the Circumstances for waiting to call it in it could be any number of reasons, but still if it is true, this man needs to be in jail.
 @lee986321 Fired or not I am sure that they will try to sue the man and tri-met and the state. It is the way of this country. Wonder if they will look into the couples financial records to see if this is a scheme to get money or not
She waited til sunday to report it? The exact time the internal video is erased. That's something you report IMMEDIATELY
 @APMargulies IN a perfect world, yes...but often victims are too freaked out and frozen to take any action or even speak about what happened until the shock subsides. Happens all the time...all the time.