A woman was brutally attacked Wednesday morning at a Pasadena subway station in an attack authorities described as an attempted murder.
Around 5:45 a.m., at the Allen Metro station near Pasadena City College, a man suddenly approached the woman and punched her in the face, authorities said.
He continued to hit the woman until she fell to the ground, where he then grabbed her and began slamming her head against the platform multiple times, according to preliminary internal reports from the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority obtained by The Times.
The man then pushed the woman onto the tracks and dragged her over the freeway’s concrete divider wall onto the 210 Freeway, which runs alongside the subway platform, according to reports. The woman was later able to escape and has since been treated at a hospital, where she is said to be in stable condition pending further medical evaluation.
Authorities said the attack was unprovoked and the woman did not know the man.
A person matching the suspect’s description was located a few blocks away and arrested on suspicion of attempted murder, according to Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Bureau of Transportation Services officers. Further details are being withheld pending further charges.
Janice Hahn, Los Angeles County Supervisor and Metro Board Chair, said she was deeply troubled by the details of the attack.
“Our board will need to conduct a full investigation into this incident, determine where law enforcement and Metro-contracted transit security officers were when this woman was assaulted, and develop a plan to enhance security during morning rush hour,” Hahn said. “Our trains, buses and stations must be safe for our passengers, and we must continue to implement safety reforms to get our system to that point.”
Times reporter Rachel Uranga contributed to this report.
