Boston Herald | By O’Ryan Johnson | Wednesday, January 27, 2016

Mohamed Noor, 29, of Brookline was arrested after he boarded a bus at about 12:45 a.m. on Commercial Street in Malden, but refused to pay the fare, police said.

A Somali immigrant was arrested yesterday for hitting an MBTA bus driver and records show transit cops have locked him up three times for violent assaults in less than three years, officials said.

Mohamed Noor, 29, of Brookline was arrested after he boarded a bus at about 12:45 a.m. on Commercial Street in Malden, but refused to pay the fare, police said.

“The (driver) explained to Noor he would have to pay his fare or exit the bus,” police said in a statement. “Noor began to make verbal threats and insults towards the victim and in doing so placed other passengers in fear of their safety. When the victim refused to move the bus, Noor struck the victim in the face and head with his scarf and hands.”

Noor pleaded not guilty in Malden District Court to assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, interfering with a bus driver, disorderly conduct, and threatening to commit a crime, Middlesex District

Attorney Marian Ryan’s office said. He was held on a probation warrant out of Roxbury District Court.

“The safety of MBTA employees is one of our top priorities, we will follow this case closely to ensure Noor is held responsible for his actions,” said Transit Police Superintendent Richard Sullivan.

In October 2013, Noor was arrested for punching and kicking an elderly bus driver in Roxbury. He was sentenced to 2 1⁄2 years in prison, with the sentence suspended for four years, court records show.

Then, in August 2014 he attacked a man in the Sullivan Square MBTA station, savagely beating the 53-year-old until the victim ran onto a bus, Transit police said in a statement. The victim in that case did not testify, however, Noor was held in Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody for a time, court records show.

An official with ICE said they have not placed a detainer on him, but added “ICE is closely monitoring the situation.”