PASADENA, Calif. – A woman was attacked at a Metro station on the median of the Foothill (210) Freeway in Pasadena before sunrise Wednesday and a suspect was taken into custody.
According to the Sheriff’s Information Bureau, officers responded to the Allen Station on the A Metro Line around 5:40 a.m., where a man was arrested on suspicion of repeatedly striking a woman in an unprovoked attack.
The woman fell to the ground and took several more blows before the suspect pushed her onto the tracks, dragged her “over the concrete guardrail of the highway” and into a lane of the highway, authorities said.
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The suspect was later located and arrested without incident by Sheriff’s Transit Bureau deputies at the intersection of Allen Avenue and Villa Street. According to sheriff’s officials, he was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder.
The woman was taken to a hospital and her condition is stable.
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Los Angeles County Councilwoman Kathryn Barger praised transit officials for their quick response.
“This incident is a perfect example of why we urgently need to address safety issues, not only in the Metro system but also at the stations,” Barger said in a statement.
Barger also said she expects a comprehensive report from Metro on the safety measures taken to ensure safety, particularly during morning commuter hours.
“Our subway board has already taken some steps to improve public safety, including fare control. But it is obvious to me that commuters on our subway system still face serious problems that cannot be ignored,” Barger said.
Her colleague, District Councilwoman Janice Hahn, who like Barger sits on the Metro board, issued a statement saying, “The details of the attack on a woman this morning at Allen Station in Pasadena are disturbing and I am grateful that the victim is recovering and the suspect is in custody.”
“Our board needs a full investigation of this incident, an inventory of where Metro’s contracted police and transit security officers were when this woman was attacked, and a plan to increase safety during morning commuter hours. Our trains, buses and stations must be safe for our riders, and we must continue to implement safety reforms to get our system to that point.”
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