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The LA Metro Blue Line station at Pine Avenue in Long Beach. | Photo courtesy of Epolk/Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)
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Two young men were charged with murder Tuesday in connection with the stabbing death of a man who was attacked aboard a Metro A (Blue) Line train in Long Beach.
Akili Collins, 18, was charged with murder, while Melake Daniel, 19, was charged with murder and assault by means of force likely to cause great bodily injury, according to the District Attorney’s Office.
Collins and Daniel, both of Long Beach, were scheduled to be arraigned sometime Tuesday in Long Beach, but it was not immediately clear if they had appeared in court as of late afternoon.
Police responded shortly after 3:30 p.m. Wednesday to reports of a stabbing aboard the train in the 100 block of East First Street and found Luis Fernando Polita, 25, of Los Angeles, suffering from multiple stab wounds to the upper body. Paramedics took him to a hospital, where he died from his injuries.
Investigators determined that Polita boarded the train in an undisclosed area outside of Long Beach. At some point after the train entered Long Beach, the suspects boarded the train, immediately approached the victim and physically assaulted him, police said.
During the attack, one of the suspects pulled out a knife and stabbed the victim multiple times. When the train came to a stop at the Metro station near First Street and Pine Avenue, the suspects exited and fled on foot prior to officers’ arrival, police said.
Long Beach police said they were still trying to determine a motive for the attack, but it “does not appear to be random,” meaning the victim was specifically targeted.
Detectives on Friday located and arrested Collins and Daniel near the 900 block of East Broadway. Collins’ bail was set at $2 million and Daniel’s bail was set at $1 million.
It was not immediately clear whether police were still seeking a third suspect.
Anyone with information about the attack was asked to contact Homicide Detectives Donald Collier or Chasen Contreras at 562-570-7244. Callers who choose to remain anonymous can contact Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477.
