A man was taken into custody Tuesday afternoon after he was accused of using a hammer to scare a MARTA bus driver so he could hijack the vehicle.

About 4:20 p.m., a bus passenger used a hammer to strike one of the hand rails, scaring the driver, MARTA spokeswoman Colleen Kiernan told AJC.com. The driver pulled over at Joseph E. Boone Boulevard and Troy Street, and everyone except for the hammer-wielding man got off.

The man, identified as 33-year-old William Robinson, then drove the vehicle to the North Avenue bus loop, where he was arrested by MARTA police, authorities said. There were no injuries and no damage to the bus.

Another bus was sent to pick up the passengers and driver who got off before the suspect drove away, Kiernan added.

Robinson faces counts of armed robbery, aggravated assault, hijacking a vehicle and interference with government property. He has also been permanently banned from all MARTA property.

He remains in the Fulton County Jail without bond, records show.

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Aerial photo shows part of the Dawson Forest Wildlife Management Area, Thursday, January 31, 2025, in Dawsonville. Atlanta's 10,000-acre tract of forest is one part of the 25,500 acre WMA managed by the state as public recreation land. (Hyosub Shin / AJC)

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