A woman and her two children were assaulted while riding a city bus.

Police say a man was riding a Guelph Transit bus on Tuesday morning when he somehow became agitated.

He lashed out the woman and her two small children by swinging his jacket at them.

When the bus driver tried to intervene, the man went after him too.

A man who witnessed the altercation tried to help the driver, only to have the agitated man go after him as well.

The citizen was able to defend himself, which stalled the situation until police arrived.

They arrested a 61-year-old Guelph man and charged him with four counts of assault.

Those involved suffered only minor injuries.