Metro train operator shot in Boyle Heights; shooter flees

A Metro train operator was shot twice around 4:10 a.m. after pulling into the Indiana Station along the L Line in the Boyle Heights neighborhood of Los Angeles, authorities said Friday.

Initially taken to a hospital in what was believed to be critical condition, the operator was stable and expected to live, said Ramon Montenegro, a spokesman for the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department’s Transit Services Bureau.

The shooter has not been found. Montenegro said detectives will review camera footage from the train platform and train car. It was not clear whether the assailant fired from inside the train or outside. “Even though there’s many cameras here, they don’t always show the entire incident,” Montenegro said.

Metro announced later in the day that it was offering a $25,000 reward “for information that leads to the identification, apprehension and conviction” of the person who committed the crime.

“Our Metro workforce should never be forced to fear for their lives,” L.A. Mayor and Metro Board Chairman Eric Garcetti said in a statement. “This act of senseless violence cannot — and will not — go unanswered.”

Metro Chief Executive Phillip Washington said in a statement that the agency would support the train operator during this time.

Metro security and the Sheriff’s Department, with the support of the Los Angeles Police Department, are investigating the incident, the transit agency said in a news release.

Indiana Station, between Gleason Avenue and East 2nd Street, was still closed to pedestrian traffic at 11 a.m. Metro trains were running in both directions on a nearby track but not stopping at the station, Montenegro said.

Transit riders could expect delays of about 10 minutes, said Dave Sotero, a spokesman for Metro. Bus Line 30 can be used an alternative, he said.

Detectives are in touch with the victim, whom the Sheriff’s Department did not identify.

“He’s able to provide information to our investigators, which they’re going to use to help develop a profile of the suspect,” Montenegro said.

The motive for the shooting was unclear, he added.

People with information about the shooting can call (888) 950-SAFE (7233) or text (213) 788-2777. Information can also be submitted through the Metro Transit Watch app.