DONA ANA COUNTY, N.M. (KFOX14/CBS4) — A bus trip from Las Cruces to El Paso turned chaotic Thursday evening when a passenger allegedly grabbed the steering wheel, sending the bus across the median on I-10 and into oncoming traffic before it crashed, authorities said.
Aroni Alberto Diaz, a 24-year-old Las Cruces man, was arrested Thursday on I-10 and charged with aggravated assault and battery, according to Dona Ana County jail records.
The charges stem from a crash reported about 7:05 p.m. Thursday on I-10 near milepost 149 that closed all lanes, according to the arrest report.
A bus driver told New Mexico State Police investigators that Diaz had been acting “combatively” with staff at the Greyhound City Bus station at 300 W. Lohman Ave. in Las Cruces.
The driver said that after the bus began traveling east on I-10 toward El Paso, Diaz, seated in the front row across from the driver, started “acting weird, mumbling” and asked whether they were going to El Paso before later asking if they were going to Juarez.
The driver said he told Diaz, “No, I’m going to downtown El Paso.” The driver told investigators Diaz then began saying to call the El Paso Police Department. When the driver refused, Diaz allegedly screamed, jumped over him and grabbed the steering wheel.
The driver told investigators that Diaz pulled the wheel, causing the bus to cross the wire median and drive into oncoming traffic. The driver said he managed to put the bus in neutral and use the emergency brake to stop it.
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After the bus stopped, the driver said a passenger jumped in to help pull Diaz off him and away from the wheel. Diaz then allegedly pulled out a knife, pushed the bus doors open and climbed out. The driver told investigators he closed the doors as soon as Diaz was out.
In the report, an investigator asked the driver whether he feared for his life. The driver responded,
F*** yes.
By the time the state police investigator arrived, Diaz was already in custody of Dona Ana County Sheriff’s Office deputies, the report said.
The investigator later interviewed Diaz, who allegedly said he got scared because he thought he was going to get dismembered, and mentioned that if someone wanted to harvest his organs, they need to kill him, the report said. Diaz also reportedly refused to be examined by a medic.
No injuries were reported.
KINT shared video from inside the bus showing moments from the incident as captured by the passengers.
In the video, you can hear yelling in Spanish that means, “help, help!” followed by “let me out, let me out, let me out.”
WATCH:
Video from the bus crash hijack on I-10. Sept. 24, 2026. Credit: Katlynne Britosalas & Isela Silva via KINT
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