A man received 20 years in prison for a violent, unprovoked assault on a 78-year-old Regional Transportation Commission (RTC) bus driver in Sparks last year.
Ryan Mastelotto, now 30, will be eligible for parole after serving eight years. An onboard bus video captured the entire incident.
Mastelotto had been sitting at the back of the bus when he approached the driver and asked him to stop. After the driver pulled over, Mastelotto changed his mind and asked to go to the next stop.
The driver complied, but Mastelotto demanded another stop. When the driver told him he needed to exit the bus, Mastelotto launched the attack.
According to court documents, Mastelotto struck the driver in the head, knocking him to the ground. He then repeatedly punched, kicked, and stomped on the victim.
Mastelotto briefly drove the bus a short distance before stopping, cursing at the injured driver on the floor, and fleeing the scene.
The victim went to a hospital with multiple fractured ribs, a fractured jaw, and significant trauma to his head and face. His injuries were serious but non-life-threatening.
The assault occurred on February 3, 2025, near Glendale Avenue and Linda Way in Sparks. Police arrested Mastelotto later that day near the RTC station in Reno.
He was initially booked into the Washoe County Jail on charges of battery on a protected person, causing substantial bodily harm. Mastelotto had prior convictions, including battery, according to reports from the time of the arrest.
Officials have not released the victim’s name.
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