A Metro rider is filing a government claim against the city of Los Angeles after he was slashed across the face by an unhoused person armed with a machete.
Brent Meldeau’s attack happened at 7:30 p.m. March 2 at a Chatsworth bus station. He says he filed the claim – a procedural step before a lawsuit – in hopes of increasing rider safety.
Meldeau said he was walking toward the station while looking at his phone when he heard yelling. Then, out of nowhere, an unhoused man slashed him in the face with a machete.
“I gathered my bearings to determine to figure out what was happening, and my face was a bloody mess,” Meldeau recalled.
Meldeau ran to a Ralphs store across the street, where he found safety with employees. He later returned to the station, taking a video to demonstrate how dark it was.
Meldeau and his lawyer believe if the area around the Metro station was properly lit and had more security measures in place, the attack could have prevented.
“The city’s negligent maintenance of the premises of this property increased the likelihood that this kind of criminal incident could occur,” attorney Cyrus Shahriari.
Following the attack, Meldeau said he has been dealing with nerve damage, brain fog and post-traumatic stress.
The city told NBC4 it is reviewing the case but had no further comment. The attacker, meanwhile, has not been caught.
Meldeau said he hopes the legal filing will lead to more safety for people who rely on Metro transit every day.
“Something has to change,” he said.
