An individual was stabbed Tuesday aboard a Los Angeles Metro bus in Lynwood, the newest incident of bloodshed linked to the county’s mass transit system that’s struggling to maintain commuters secure.
The passenger, recognized solely as an grownup, was stabbed within the leg and brought to a hospital, the place they have been listed in steady situation, in response to a press release kind the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Division.
Deputies and an emergency medical workforce responded to the assault simply after 11 a.m. on the intersection of Lengthy Seashore Boulevard and Norton Avenue in Lynwood, in response to the sheriff’s division and the L.A. County Fireplace Division. An individual of curiosity has been detained, sheriff’s spokesperson Deputy Miguel Meza mentioned, however he didn’t have additional particulars about what led to the stabbing or an arrest.
Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn referred to as Tuesday’s stabbing “one other grim cause that we’d like a surge of legislation enforcement on our transit system.”
“Individuals who depend on Metro each day must know they will take our buses and trains safely,” Hahn, vice chair of the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority board of administrators, mentioned in a press release. “I admire our Sheriff’s deputies who responded to the scene rapidly and have detained an individual of curiosity. Fortunately, I’m instructed that the sufferer’s accidents are usually not life threatening. I’m praying for his or her fast restoration, and I’m so sorry that they needed to endure this.”
This stabbing follows a spate of violent incidents throughout Metro’s bus and rail system, together with the deadly stabbing of a 66-year-old grandmother from Nicaragua who was using the B Line in late April. Simply final week, three individuals have been stabbed in two separate, nonfatal incidents, and in mid-April, a bus driver was stabbed whereas on the job.
Final week, a father from East Los Angeles was shot within the head and killed whereas using a bus house from work.
Patrick Chandler, a spokesperson for Metro, mentioned the company “shares the issues of our staff and clients concerning the elevated severity of crime we’re seeing in our cities and on the Metro system, just like the one onboard a Metro bus within the metropolis of Lynwood this afternoon.”
Chandler didn’t instantly reply to questions on rising security issues, however mentioned Metro is hoping Tuesday’s stabbing sufferer makes a full restoration and recommended the Sheriff’s Division for promptly apprehending the suspect.
Regardless of a number of current violent incidents towards Metro passengers and employees, Metro officers have mentioned that the speed of crimes per passenger has decreased of late. Based on Metro, there have been slightly greater than 5 crimes reported per million boardings in March, which was about 28% decrease than in February and 41% decrease than in March 2023.
Metro has additionally been wanting into, and in some circumstances began implementing, safety enhancements, together with including extra safety personnel on buses and creating obstacles to guard drivers.
Instances employees writers Nathan Solis and Rachel Uranga contributed to this report.
