Man Catches Train the Hard Way; Deputies Arrest Him
A man jumped onto the top of an Amtrak train from a Ventura Freeway overpass Thursday and was arrested miles down the track by sheriff’s deputies who swooped in by helicopter.
Juan Lopez, 33, of Camarillo made the 20-foot leap about 9 a.m., authorities said.
“At this point the train starts pulling out and the witnesses see Mr. Lopez standing on top of the train waving to everyone in the parking lot,” Ventura County Sheriff’s Deputy Julie Novak told KCAL-TV Channel 9.
The Amtrak engineer, unaware Lopez was on top of the train, guided the train for five miles before stopping in Somis. A county helicopter dropped deputies onto the train.
“We found the train. We still found Mr. Lopez on top of the train. He was being uncooperative and not following their orders, so they actually had deputies on the ground distract him while other deputies sneaked up behind him,” Novak said.
Lopez had suffered a broken ankle. He was restrained and taken to St. John’s Pleasant Valley Hospital in Camarillo.
“Because of the incident and the history we have with him -- we’ve had some psychological incidents ... the hospital is going to do an evaluation,” Novak said.
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