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Passenger Fatally Stabbed on Red Line Subway After Dispute, Suspect Fled From Hollywood/Vine Stop
Photo by Open Air Control Testing Ground via the LAist Featured Photos pool
The investigation continues into the stabbing death of a Metro Red Line subway passenger last night in Hollywood. The victim, a Hispanic male in his 50s, became engaged in an argument with another passenger, an Asian male in his 20s, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.
The confrontation began at around 8:18 p.m. on the train as it traveled northbound from Hollywood and Western to Hollywood and Vine. At the height of the argument, the suspect stabbed the victim in the torso with an unknown weapon.
Los Angeles Times writer Todd Martens was on the train at the time of the attack. He told the publication that he saw the victim holding what may have been a bicycle chain, and that the rider appeared "crazy" and was flailing the chain about haphazardly. Martens subsequently observed the stabbing incident:
The other man, who was holding two skateboards and a bag, then pulled out a small knife, prompting bystanders to scurry to the back of the car. The man stabbed the chain-wielding victim in his chest. The stabber stepped back, and said, "Oh, no, why did you make me do that?"
When the train arrived at Hollywood and Vine, the suspect took off on foot and may have headed west from the station. Martens said he saw other riders suggest to the stabber he change out of his bloodied shirt into a clean blue one he had in his belongings before the suspect left the platform.
The victim collapsed, and was asking other passengers for help. However, he ultimately died from his injuries.
The suspect remains at large.
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