A stabbing on a Metro bus in the Lynwood area Tuesday left a man injured and a suspect was arrested.
Paramedics sent to the area of Long Beach Boulevard and Norton Avenue about 11:20 a.m. took one person to a hospital in unknown condition, according to the Los Angeles County Fire Department.
The stabbing occurred aboard the bus, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department's Transit Services Bureau.
"Deputies responded to a Metro bus located at the intersection of Long Beach Boulevard and Norton Avenue in the city of Lynwood regarding an assault call for service," the sheriff's department said in a statement early Tuesday afternoon.
"One adult victim was stabbed in the leg," the statement said. "The victim was transported to a local hospital in stable condition pending further medical evaluation. The suspect was located by TSB deputies and arrested. There is no additional information at this time."
The suspect's name was not immediately released. The investigation was continuing. It was unclear what prompted the stabbing.
The stabbing is the latest in a string of recent acts of violence connected to the Metro transit system, and comes less than a week after Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass -- who chairs the Metro Board of Directors -- ordered an immediate surge in law enforcement presence on buses and trains to boost safety.
One bus rider told KNX News' Nataly Tavidian more needs to be done when it comes to safety.
"They just got to be much more aware of like who goes in and because sometimes you don't know if a person might have a weapon on," he said.
The stabbing occurred aboard the bus, and the circumstances were under investigation, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.
County Supervisor Janice Hahn, whose 4th District includes Lynwood, called the attack "horrific and yet another grim reason that we need a surge of law enforcement on our transit system."
"People who rely on Metro every day need to know they can take our buses and trains safely," Hahn, who also sits on the Metro Board of Directors, said in a statement. "I appreciate our sheriff's deputies who responded to the scene quickly and have detained a person of interest. Thankfully, I am told that the victim's injuries are not life threatening. I am praying for their quick recovery, and I am so sorry that they had to endure this."
In an official statement Metro said, "Metro shares the concerns of our employees and customers about the increased severity of crime we are seeing in our cities and on the Metro system, like the one onboard a Metro bus in the city of Lynwood this afternoon. Metro hopes for a swift and full recovery to the victim and commends the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department for their prompt action in apprehending the suspect. We urge anyone with information regarding this incident to contact the LASD Transit Services Bureau at 323-563-5000. We must work together to stop these crimes before they happen. If you see something, report something by calling 911."
KNX News has reached out to the sheriff's department for further comment.
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