HAYWARD (KRON) — Police are investigating a fight between two BART passengers that escalated into a deadly stabbing on board a train near the South Hayward station Tuesday afternoon.
The stabbing closed the South Hayward BART station for hours as police were on scene investigating and reviewing surveillance video.
Fight Leads to Stabbing
A source told KRON4 that two passengers were fighting on board a train, before it escalated into a stabbing.
Prior to the fight, the suspect tried to steal shoes from someone sleeping on board the train.
The suspect has been identified by BART officials as 39-year-old Jermaine Jeremiah Brim of Sacramento.
A source said the victim tried to intervene in the theft, which then led to the fight between the victim and suspect.
The victim then pulled out a knife during the fight — which the suspect stole and used to stab the victim repeatedly, killing him, the source said.
The suspect then fled the train and tried to carjack several cars at the station.
The suspect later went to nearby car dealership, where he were arrested.
BART said on Twitter just after 1:30 p.m. Tuesday that trains were being single-tracked through the South Hayward station, but not stopping due to “police activity.”
The station was closed for hours because of the stabbing, but reopened around 5:20 p.m. Tuesday night.
‘Wasn’t a random attack’
“Our partners of the Hayward police department along with our officers had a good description of the suspect,” said BART Police Chief Ed Alvarez. “They conducted an area search and they were able to stop a suspect matching the description about a block from here on Tennyson”
During a press conference Tuesday afternoon, the police chief said the stabbing was a rare occurrence on BART and tragic.
“It wasn’t a random attack,” Alvarez said. “It was a fight involving two individuals that engaged each other and the knife was introduced into the fight at that moment.”
The agency reassured passengers the transit system is safe despite the stabbing.
BART’s general manager said Tuesday that the safety of customers and employees is BART’s top priority.
Investigation Underway
BART has security cameras both on board the train and on the platforms.
Investigators are now combing through the footage.
“Our deepest condolences, thoughts and prayers to the victim in this case and to his family,” Alvarez said.
In a statement, BART’s General Manager Robert Powers also said:
“We are heartbroken that a person has lost his life due to violence on one of our trains this afternoon. We extend our sincerest condolences to the family and friends of the victim.”
The initial call regarding the incident came into police at 12:58 p.m.
Police and the coroner were on the scene Tuesday afternoon investigating the man’s death.
On Twitter, the transit agency said their “thoughts are with the deceased and his loved ones.”
This is developing, check back for updates