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Man charged in Metro bus attacks; some stabbed with screwdriver

A Los Angeles County sheriff's deputy enters a Metro bus on Slauson Avenue at Atlantic Boulevard in Maywood on June 27. The bus driver was a victim in one of the attacks.
(Gary Friedman / Los Angeles Times)
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Charges were filed Tuesday against a man suspected of assaulting bus passengers with a screwdriver in a string of Metro bus attacks across Los Angeles County, authorities said.

Hector Resendez, 24, was charged with five counts of attempted murder, five counts of assault with a deadly weapon and three counts of battery, the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office said.

Prosecutors said Resendez assaulted eight bus passengers between June 16 and June 27, allegedly stabbing victims with a screwdriver in several of the attacks. Some victims were taken to hospitals with non-life-threatening injuries.

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Resendez was arrested without incident Friday morning at a gas station near Pacific Boulevard and Slauson Avenue in Huntington Park. Police had stepped up their presence in the area after another attack occurred near Atlantic Boulevard and Slauson in Maywood about 10:35 a.m. Friday.

His arraignment was scheduled for Tuesday afternoon at the Foltz Criminal Justice Center downtown. If convicted of all counts, Resendez faces multiple life sentences, according to the district attorney’s office. Prosecutors are recommending bail be set at $5.1 million.

For breaking news in Los Angeles and the Southland, follow @debbietruong or email her at debbie.truong@latimes.com.

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