Man injured by machete attack at Chatsworth Metro Station files claim against L.A.
A man who was attacked on his way to the Chatsworth Metro Station by a machete-wielding assailant has filed a claim against the city of Los Angeles, saying that unsafe conditions are to blame.
Brent Meldeau, 53, was walking to the station March 2 when, he said, he heard “someone approaching me, and I see this guy with his hand in the air. Then he hit me across the face with a machete.”
“I was in shock,” he said. “I dropped my phone. As I was running away, he asked me if I wanted some more.” Meldeau said the blow nearly knocked him unconscious. The attack left him with a large cut across his face. The claim asks for monetary damages.
Metro reports there were as many deaths on its system since Jan. 1 as there were all last year. Crime and drug use are causing some officials to call for increased security.
His attorney, Cyrus Shahriari, said in a statement that “lack of security and adequate lighting at the Chatsworth Metro Station not only puts public safety at risk but also undermines the community’s sense of security and well-being.”
“The City’s negligent maintenance of the premises increased the likelihood that this type of criminal incident could occur,” he said.
Shahriari also blamed “unmonitored homeless encampments located in darkened areas.” He and his client claim the attacker was unhoused.
Representatives for the Los Angeles City Attorney’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Commuters have abandoned large swaths of a Los Angeles Metro train system plagued by crime and the scourge of drugs.
Safety issues have plagued Los Angeles’ public transit systems, causing authorities to consider additional security. As illicit drug use and crime have gone up, ridership has struggled to recover from pre-pandemic levels.
Train boardings were under two-thirds of pre-pandemic levels as of late February. Reports of serious crimes were up 24% in 2022 versus 2021, according to data presented by Gina Osborn, the top safety officer of the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority, to the Metro executive board.
“I have a false sense of security because it’s the town I grew up in, but it’s not the same town,” Meldeau said of Chatsworth.
“The crime is out of hand down in that area. I don’t want anyone else to have to go through what happened to me.”
Times staff writer Rachel Uranga contributed to this report.
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