Fatal Stabbing Occurs on Metro Red Line in Hollywood

Authories are searching for a skateboarder who fatally stabbed a chain-wielding man Friday on a Red Line train in Hollywood.

The stabbing, believed to have been captured on video, occurred between the Hollywood/Western station and the Hollywood/Vine station about 7:30 p.m. Friday, police said.

Los Angeles Times music reporter Todd Martens said he witnessed the incident. Martens told The Times he saw a chain wielding man stabbed by a man with a knife.

In his bag, the stabber, who appeared to be in his 20s, had what looked like a new blue shirt, and two other passengers urged him to change out of his bloodied clothes, according to Martens.

The assailant, described as being of Asian descent with acne scars on his face, put on a new shirt and stuffed the bloody one into his bag, bolting out of the door at the Hollywood/Vine Station.

Presumably, the crime was caught on Metro video. "There are cameras on the trains,'' sheriff's Sgt. Harry Drucker said. "That footage feeds into a hard drive and our homicide detectives will be requesting a download of that video from the Metro people.''

The killing was the first on the Red Line since it opened in 1993. The slain man's name was being withheld pending notification of his next of kin. Sheriff's deputies described him as a Hispanic man in his 50s. Security on Metro buses and rail is handled by the sheriff's department, and the investigation is being handled by sheriff's homicide detectives.

Anyone with more information about the killing was asked to call detectives at (323) 890-5500.