Passenger stabbed on Amtrak train in California, Sacramento man arrested
FAIRFIELD – A Sacramento man has been arrested for allegedly stabbing a passenger on an Amtrak train late Sunday night, authorities say.
Fairfield police say, just after 10:30 p.m., they got a call from an Amtrak conductor about a possible stabbing on board. The suspect was also possibly holding another person hostage, police were told.
The train was just getting to Fairfield when the incident was reported, police say.
Officers converged on the next stop down the line, the Fairfield-Vacaville station. Passengers were then cleared out of the train at the stop.
Police say they found a 21-year-old man who had been stabbed twice in the chest; he was rushed to the hospital in critical condition.
Officers then encountered a man holding a knife, but Fairfield police say he turned out to be a second victim who was actually holding the suspect – 23-year-old Sacramento Brandon Torres-Mendoza – at bay.
Torres-Mendoza was arrested and is facing charges of attempted murder and false imprisonment. He's also facing a violation of his post-release community supervision, also known as parole.
Exactly what led up to the stabbing is still under investigation, with police noting that neither victim knew Torres-Mendoza.
Amtrak police are also helping investigate the incident, Fairfield police say.