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Passengers on the Red Line who witnessed Friday night's stabbing in Hollywood advised the young man on how to make a getaway, according to witnesses that spoke to the Los Angeles Times.The victim has been identified as Jesse Garay, 59, of North Hollywood, and police are reviewing the train's surveillance tape, hoping that it will shed light on whether the stabbing was in self-defense.
Los Angeles Times music writer Todd Martens witnessed the stabbing and has come forward with key details about the event.
The young man and Garay had gotten into a fight and Garay began swinging a bike chain at him. The suspect pulled out a small knife and stabbed Garay in the chest. As Garay slumped to the floor, he turned to the passengers and asked them to say that he had acted in self-defense. When he got no response, he started to talk about how he was worried that the police would be waiting for him at the station.
That's when two young women piped up.
" 'You don't know that,' " Martens quoted the women as saying. " 'Keep it together, you have to be ready.' ... They were giving him a pep talk."
They advised him on how to make an escape. They suggested that he change out of his bloodied T-shirt, into a bright, blue clean T-shirt that he had in his canvas bag.
"It was actually really depressing to me," Martens said. Although the women did not appear to know the man, "they advised him how to get out of there," Martens said.
There weren't any deputies at the station, so the man took off running west on Hollywood Boulevard.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the homicide bureau at (323) 890-5500.
