Santa Monica architect stabbed protecting passengers on Expo Line during fight caught on camera
LOS ANGELES - A prominent architect from Santa Monica was stabbed after a group of four teenagers got into a fight on the Expo Line in West Los Angeles.
According to the Los Angeles Police Department, the four teens included two females and two males. The group started fighting, and one of the suspects pulled out a knife.
Gwynne Pugh, the owner and founder of Gwynne Pugh Urban Studio, takes public transportation often. The fight happened Tuesday night at around 8:40 p.m.
"They [the teenagers] had a shopping cart with alcohol and snacks. They started getting very noisy with each other," said Pugh.
Zoe Muntaner started recording the fight on her cellphone.
"When she [one of the teenagers] saw me filming, she then came towards me, and raised her arm with a knife and asked me to stop recording," said Muntaner.
Muntaner said the suspect asked her to give up her phone, but she refused.
"I put it in my purse, and then she punched me. I thought she was going to hurt me. I thought it was definitely a miracle," Muntaner said.
Muntaner said people like Pugh stepped in to help her.
"When things started escalating, his [Pugh] reflexes were to shield us. Thank God there were good Samaritans that intervened. Nobody knew each other. We were all strangers," said Muntaner.
As an architect and urban designer, Pugh was on the Planning Commission for the city of Santa Monica when the line was being designed. When he saw the fight on the train, he stepped in.
"One of the females came towards the end of the train with a knife in her hand and she was going to pile in on the fight, and I didn't think that was a good idea," Pugh said.
Pugh asked the suspect to stop, but she did not.
"She kept on coming so at that point, I started to kick out at her, and as I kicked out at her, she basically slashed at me with a knife and sliced my right knee," Pugh said.
Pugh did not realize he had been stabbed.
"It wasn't until afterwards when someone said, 'oh look you're bleeding,' and I looked and it was quite a cut," he said.
Pugh was treated on scene, and then went to UCLA Emergency Care for stitches.
According to LAPD, one of the suspects was also injured and taken to the hospital to treat a non-life threatening injury.
After the altercation, a person flagged down an officer for help at the Bundy stop. The data collector on the train also communicated with an operator to let them know police assistance was needed.
"It was scary, traumatic and abusive. I posted on several Facebook pages to let the community know," said Muntaner.
Muntaner said she wants to get the community involved to push for "more security" on the LA Metro.
"There are funds allocated for security, and for some reason, we are not seeing security, especially at night," said Muntaner.
However, an LA Metro Media Relations spokesperson said law enforcement was at the station to apprehend the suspects, and it's an "example of how [LA Metro] had law enforcement where they needed to be for this incident."
LAPD said two teens are facing assault with a deadly weapon charges, one teen is facing a battery against an officer charge, and the fourth is facing a charge for causing a disturbance on a train.
If someone feels they are in a situation that is dangerous or unsafe, security can be called at 888-950-7233. Metro staff can be alerted to incidents by using the train intercom or station intercoms marked by red signs on station platforms.