Woman Causes New Commotion On City Bus

A former West Hartford resident who called police on a cellphone while she was being arrested  was charged with breach of peace after a distburbance on a CT Transit bus, her second commotion on a city bus in less than four days, West Hartford police said.

This time, Yevgenia Astistov, 24, of 63 Anawar St., Hartford, was not in the driver's seat, police said.

Astistov is also charged with interfering with police.

Astistov, formerly of 60 Arnold Way, was arrested by West Hartford police in 2007 and charged with disorderly conduct. She is currently on probation for a DUI offense, according to court records.

The latest incident began shortly after 5 p.m. Monday, police said, when Astistov tried to enter a customer’s car at a Sunoco mini-mart at 898 Farmington Ave. After police responded, Astistov allegedly ignored an officer’s order to stop and boarded an eastbound bus on Farmington Avenue.

Police attempted to question Astistov after the bus stopped near Lancaster Road. “Yevgenia then stated that she was going to call the police and began to use her cellphone for this call,” the police report said.

“Yevgenia was screaming on the phone with a West Hartford dispatcher screaming that she was being stabbed and assaulted by a police officer,” police said.

No injuries were reported.

Astistov is scheduled to appear in Hartford Community Court April 21, when she is also expected to answer breach of peace charges in connection with an incident April 1 aboard another CT Transit bus on New Park Avenue.

The bus driver told police that when Astistov was told she was on the wrong bus for Wethersfield Avenue, she got behind the wheel and refused to budge. She told the driver she "wasn't going anywhere," police said.

Astistov has multiple arrests by state police and by police in Hartford and Wethersfield on charges of DUI and driving while under suspension, according to court records.