Los Angeles Submits Cross-Complaint Against Metro Regarding Fatal Stabbing Incident
LOS ANGELES—The city of Los Angeles has initiated a cross-complaint against Metro in response to the fatal stabbing of a 23-year-old passenger stalked and attacked aboard a Metro B (Red) Line train in downtown Los Angeles in 2023.
The incident took place at 5:20 p.m. on September 7, 2023, when Randy Lamale Nash is accused of approaching Jesse Michael Rodriguez, brandishing a knife, and stabbing him in the chest, according to statements from the Los Angeles Police Department.
A lawsuit in the Los Angeles Superior Court was filed against Metro and the city on September 19 by Katherine M. Rodriguez, the 72-year-old mother of Jesse Rodriguez, along with Edward Quezada, who adopted Jesse when he was just two years old.
The city’s cross-complaint, filed on Tuesday, seeks a court ruling that determines Metro was legally responsible for any injuries and damages incurred by Jesse Rodriguez. It also requests that Metro reimburse the city, wholly or partially, for any damages Katherine Rodriguez may recover from the city.
On November 25, Metro filed a similar indemnification cross-complaint against Nash.
Rodriguez succumbed to his injuries at a hospital following the stabbing. Nash faces murder charges but is not a defendant in the underlying civil case where the Rodriguez family contends that both Metro and the city of Los Angeles failed to enforce loitering laws at numerous Metro stations. The lawsuit claims the stabbing happened in or near Pershing Square and that the inadequately enforced regulations allowed transients and individuals with mental health issues to congregate for extended periods, intimidating passengers.
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The lawsuit from the Rodriguez family criticizes both the city and Metro for their alleged lack of adequate security personnel and surveillance cameras on the platforms, as well as insufficient staffing in passenger vehicles.
Funds that were initially allocated for enhancing security within the Metro system were redirected to hire transit ambassadors, who the Rodriguez lawsuit claims are not adequately trained in law enforcement methods.
