Man pleads not guilty to attempted murder of woman at Metro station

A man accused of brutally attacking a woman at a Metro train station in Pasadena pleaded not guilty Tuesday to attempted murder and mayhem charges.

Juan Pablo Flores, 33, is facing a maximum sentence of life in prison if convicted of throwing the woman onto the train tracks, then into a lane of traffic on the 210 Freeway, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office. The attack on a woman at the Metro A Line Allen Station occurred Aug. 7 around 5:30 a.m.

Deputies from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Transit Services Bureau responded to the station after receiving a report of an assault, according to the LASD. The victim told deputies she was assaulted in an unprovoked attack by an adult male who she did not know.

Flores allegedly punched the woman numerous times causing her to fall to the ground, where he continued to punch her, sheriff’s officials said. Flores then pushed her onto the tracks and dragged her across the cement freeway divider and into the carpool lane on the adjacent 210 Freeway.

The victim managed to get away from her attacker and get back to the station platform, according to the sheriff’s department. She was transported to a local hospital in stable condition.

Transit deputies found and arrested Flores at the intersection of Allen Avenue and Villa Street without incident, authorities said.

“Our thoughts are with the victim and her loved ones as she begins her journey toward recovery following this horrific attack,” District Attorney George Gascón said in a statement announcing the charges Aug. 12. “No one should have to endure such brutality, and everyone deserves to go about their day without fear for their safety. We will not tolerate violence on our transit system and will continue holding those responsible fully accountable for their crimes.”

In a statement shortly after the attack, Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger commended deputies for their swift response and said, “This incident is a perfect example of why we need to urgently address safety issues, not only on the Metro train system but also at stations.”

Barger said she expects a full report from Metro about new security measures to ensure safety, especially during early-morning commute hours.

“Our Metro board has already taken some steps to improve public safety, including enforcing fares,” Barger said. “But it’s obvious to me that our Metro system commuters are still confronted with serious issues that cannot be ignored.”

Supervisor Janice Hahn in a statement called on the board to do “a full investigation into this incident, an accounting of where both Metro’s contracted law enforcement and transit security were when this woman was attacked, and a plan to increase security during early morning commuting hours.”

Hahn, who along with Barger is on the Metro Board of Directors, said “the details of the attack against a woman early this morning at the Allen Station in Pasadena are disturbing and I am grateful that the victim is recovering and that the suspect is in custody.”

Flores has remained behind bars since his arrest less than an hour after the attack, according to jail records.

His next court date is Oct. 9 in Pasadena, where a judge will set a date for a hearing to determine whether there is sufficient evidence to allow the case against him to proceed to trial.

If convicted as charged, Flores could face a potential life prison sentence, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office.

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