SANTA MONICA—On Thursday, May 4, a man was stabbed in the Expo train in Santa Monica.
Ramon Montenegro of the Sheriff’s Transit Services Bureau informed My News LA that the incident was reported at 4:53 a.m. at Fourth Street and Colorado Avenue. However, the sheriff’s deputies only found the suspect and victim at 26th Street and Michigan Avenue. Both men, who may also be transients, were detained and the victim identified the suspect positively.
Montenegro told Surf Santa Monica that the victim – who is in his 30s – had been stabbed in the chest beyond the station’s interior turnstiles, but was “breathing and able to direct deputies” to the suspect. The latter apparently made a “spontaneous statement” and was arrested in connection with the stabbing. The victim was hospitalized with “non-life-threatening wounds.”
The suspect currently faces a charge of assault with a deadly weapon that may be upgraded to assault with the intent to commit great bodily harm because of the severity of the injury, according to Montenegro.
Just over 2 months ago, at around 8:40 p.m. on March 3, another stabbing occurred on the Expo Line. 4 fighting teenagers, whom witnesses reported as appearing intoxicated, became violent when a passenger started recording them as a precaution.
1 of the 2 female teenagers came towards the passenger with a knife raised, and asked her to stop recording and hand over the phone, according to Fox LA. Gwynne Pugh, an architect and then-Santa Monica Planning Commission Chair, attempted to intervene by asking her to stop. However, the girl refused to back down, so Pugh began to kick out at her. She then slashed his right knee with a knife.
Pugh reportedly did not notice that he had been stabbed until another passenger informed him that he was bleeding. He was taken to UCLA Emergency Care after being treated on-scene.
Anyone who feels threatened while aboard the metro – or bus – can contact security at 888-950-7233.
