By admin 
TUCSON, Ariz. (13 News) – The suspect accused of attacking a Sun Tran bus driver with rocks at Udall Park in Tucson last year has reached a plea deal.
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According to court documents, Matthew David Honeycutt pleaded guilty to aggravated assault on a public transit employee on May 19, 2026. He had also been facing a charge of aggravated assault with temporary disfigurement.
Honeycutt, who is not in custody, is set to be sentenced at 9 a.m. June 23.
The Tucson Police Department said Honeycutt attacked the driver with rocks and left the area on another bus. He was known to frequent the Sabino Canyon and Tanque Verde area.
According to a Facebook post by Daniel Butierez, the victim in the case was Jose Rodriguez.
Butierez said Rodriguez suffered a broken finger when he shielded his head when Honeycutt tried to hit him with a rock.
“According to information provided to me, Jose was knocked to the ground and seriously injured during an altercation with Honeycutt,” Butierez wrote in the Facebook post. “Jose reportedly protected himself from a strike to the head with a large rock by raising his hand, suffering injuries that required surgery.”
While the TPD said Rodriguez suffered only minor injuries, Butierez said Rodriguez is still on limited duty due to the attack.
Read more Tucson Now: Futurity First Tucson
Violence connected to public transit in Tucson has been a huge issue for more than a year now.
Since April 2025, 13 News has reported on at least 19 violent incidents connected to Sun Tran. While only one person died, several victims suffered life-changing injuries. A breakdown of those incidents is below.
- On April 5, 2025, 25-year-old Daniel Michael Jr. allegedly attacked a man and a woman with a hatchet at a Sun Link streetcar stop in downtown Tucson. Jacob Couch died from his injuries, and Michael was charged with murder.
- On May 12, 2025, 42-year-old Frank Rick Lopez allegedly attacked two people with a hatchet at a Sun Tran bus stop near Sabino Canyon and Tanque Verde Roads.
- On July 9, 2025, a 15-year-old was arrested after a 19-year-old woman was injured during a knife fight on a bus at the Ronstadt Center in Tucson.
- On July 25, 2025, a man was injured when a woman attacked him with a knife at the Laos Transit Center.
- On Aug. 11, 2025, a man was injured in a stabbing at the Ronstadt Center in downtown Tucson.
- On Aug. 12, 2025,a man was injured in a fight and stabbing at the Laos Transit Center in Tucson.
- On Aug. 19, 2025, a man was injured in a fight and stabbing at the Tohono Tadai Transit Center near the Tucson Mall.
- On Sept. 9, 2025, a Sun Tran driver was injured in an attack at Udall Park in Tucson.
- On Oct. 6, 2025, an elderly man was injured in an assault at a Sun Tran bus stop near Pantano and Stella in Tucson.
- On Oct. 14, 2025, a man was arrested after allegedly firing a gun on a Sun Tran bus near Irvington and 13th Avenue in Tucson.
- On Nov. 30, 2025, a man was arrested on an attempted murder charge following a violent attack at the Laos Transit Center in Tucson.
- On Dec. 24, 2025, a man was arrested after being accused of stabbing someone on a Sun Tran bus at least 12 times.
- On Jan. 26, 2026, a man was injured in an assault at a bus stop at Broadway and Kolb in Tucson.
- On Feb. 10, 2026, a man was stabbed during an aggravated assault at the Ronstadt Transit Center.
- On Feb. 24, 2026, authorities responded to a fight at the Sun Tran bus stop at South 6th Avenue and West 44th Street.
- On Feb. 27, 2026, an armed man was arrested after a fight on a Sun Tran bus near Main and Speedway in Tucson.
- On March 4, 2026, a man was arrested after stabbing another man at the Tohono Tadai Transit Center near the Tucson Mall.
- On April 3, 2026, a person was injured in a stabbing at the Ronstadt Center in downtown Tucson.
- On June 3, 2026, one man was arrested, and another was injured following a fight near Alameda and Church in Tucson. It is believed the fight started on a Sun Tran bus.
ALL VIOLENT CRIME IN TUCSON
13 News tracks all violent crime in southern Arizona, not just those related to public transit. You can see problem spots in our map below. Clicking on the icons will bring up a link to the story for each incident.
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