A court has sentenced 29-year-old woman to 46 days in jail and 18 months house arrest for assaulting a TTC bus driver and three passengers.

Almost a year ago, Wednesday, July 20, 2011, the woman boarded a TTC bus near Downsview Station. She disputed her fare with the bus driver. During the dispute, the woman yelled racial slurs at the driver, then pepper-sprayed him and three TTC passengers who came to help the driver.

The suspect fled the bus, but Toronto Police Service officers arrested her a short time later.

Last Thursday, July 12, 2012, Dana Chobatru pleaded guilty to four charges of assault with a weapon.

On average, at least two TTC employees are assaulted every day. The assaults range from punching, slapping and spitting, to threatening physical harm or death. The TTC’s court advocates work with Crown attorneys and the courts to secure the stiffest penalties possible for those convicted of assaulting or threatening TTC employees. They continue to seek ways to restrict those convicted of these crimes from using public transit in Toronto.