MBTA Bus Driver Charged With Sexual Assault and Kidnapping

A MBTA bus driver that was working the route between Orient Heights MBTA Station in East Boston and Winthrop has been arrested and arragined  on charges of kidnapping, assault to rape, and indecent assault and battery. 

Ali Ennab, 45, of Revere, is accused of allegedly attacking a woman after she boarded the #713 MBTA bus from Orient Heights to Winthrop on the evening of April 24. The alleged assault occurred and was captured by the surveillance system on board.

Ennab was arraigned in East Boston Municipal Court and John E. McDonald, Jr. set Ennab’s bail at $10,000 cash. Ennab was ordered to surrender his passport, stay away from the victim, not work as a bus driver or any transportation company for hire, and submit to GPS tracking.  The Commonwealth also filed a motion to revoke bail on an assault and battery case out of Malden, which was allowed. 

According to District Attorney Rachael Rollins the victim boarded the bus at Orient Heights and was heading to Winthrop just before 7:30 p.m. on April 24 but had missed her stop and was the only remaining person on the bus. 

The woman, who does not speak English, was talking on her phone and missed her stop and then used a translator app to ask the driver to take her back to Orient Heights. The bus driver began speaking to her and identified himself as Ali, but he did not return to Orient Heights. Instead, he stopped the bus at a stop near the beach in Winthrop, and the victim began to feel nervous because she was the only passenger.

According to the DA’s office Ennab then shut the bus off, got up and sat next to the victim and put his arm around her. 

“He then pulled her closer to him and kissed her cheek,” according to the DA’s office. “The defendant told the woman he could get her a green card. She responded that she has a husband and doesn’t need a green card, then again asked him to open the doors because she wanted to get off the bus. He asked for her number and she called her phone from his phone so that his number would be there in case something happened to her. He then began eating his dinner and refused to open the doors to let her off the bus.”

According to the DA’s office, after eating, Ennab started the bus and the victim started walking toward the doors but Ennab turned the bus off again. 

“She asked him to open the door and he lunged at her, ripping her mask off and kissing her face,” reported the DA’s office. “He groped her body and put his hand down her pants. She begged him to stop and he continued assaulting her. She recorded audio of the assault on her phone. In the audio, the victim can be heard in Spanish begging the driver to stop and open the door. He responds, “Me, I’m boyfriend for you, it’s okay.” She continues to tell him no and to open the door. When an unidentified woman walked near the bus, she apparently caused Ennab to open the door allowing the victim to leave.”

Rollins said a  woman should be able to ride a public bus without fear of kidnap and sexual assault

“Women, just like all people, have the right to not be harassed, violated, harmed, or objectified,’’ said Rollins. “As I have said, fathers need to start speaking to their sons, and men need to tell their brothers, friends and colleagues about a new vision of masculinity where men are working to end violence against women and girls,” District Attorney Rollins said.  “The allegations outlined in this case are deeply disturbing.”

Ennab, who is employed by Paul Revere Transportation LLC as a contract driver for the MBTA, was represented at arraignment by attorney Ross Schreiber. He returns to court May 25, 2021.

All defendants are presumed innocent until proven otherwise.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *