Only On 2: February Metro stabbing victim speaks as public transportation safety concerns continue to grow
Allan Heinz was, as he said "minding my own business," while riding on the MTA Green Line back on February 12 when he had his phone snatched from his hand.
When he tried to get it back, a fight broke out and he was stabbed four times.
In an exclusive interview with CBS reporters, Heinz detailed the moments during and after the incident he referred to as "traumatizing," his road to recovery and how action needs to be taken to ensure the safety of public transportation customers throughout Los Angeles County.
Back in February, Heinz was seated while the train came to a stop at the MTA Station at Avalon Boulevard in the Willowbrook area. As soon as the doors opened, the suspect grabbed Heinz's phone and ran - prompting a chase.
Heinz caught him just outside the doors of the train, wrestling him the ground in an attempt to get his phone back.
It was then that he got stabbed - once in the lower right stomach and on the back of his right leg, and twice on the back of his left leg.
He was unable to work for two months as his recovery continued.
"He don't deserve to be out there," Heinz said. "He's dangerous. Obviously, he had no mercy for me, he was going to take me out."
While he remains on the mend, Heinz is hoping that public transportation safety concerns are addressed as soon as possible.
Statistics from MTA revealed that from Feb. 2020 to Jan. 2021, more than 1,230 crimes were committed against persons using their transportation services.
The same statistic jumped in the same time span between Feb. 2021 to Jan. 22, climbing to 1,704 crimes - a 37.98% jump.
Most MTA riders that spoke with CBS reporters shared the thoughts of Heinz, especially with more and more people returning to public transit as existing COVID restrictions continue to get lifted.
Miloh Bryant, who uses the Metro often, detailed a frightening trend she's noticed.
"I did see a lot of people bring out knives, or like breaking bottles," she said. "A lot of fights happened. One person brought out guns a couple of months ago."
Metro stations are currently provided security by the Los Angeles and Long Beach Police Departments and the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.
That is, until at least July 1, when Sheriff Alex Villanueva has threatened to pull his deputies off of security at Metro stations if the Metro Transportation Agency fails to accept his pending bid to be their sole law enforcement agency.
In response, Metro Board Chair and Los Angeles County Supervisor Hilda Solis shared a statement which read in part, "The sheriff's declaration of pulling out his deputies if the department isn't awarded the full contract with Metro should alarm everyone."
LAPD officers released a description of the suspect Wednesday, noting that he is believed to be a Black male between 14 and 20 years old, standing 5-foot-5 and weighing somewhere between 120 and 150 pounds.
He was last seen wearing a light-blue shirt with an anime graphic on the front, blue jeans and two-tone colored shoes.
Anyone with information on the February stabbing was urged to contact LAPD Southeast Robbery Detective Lopez at (213) 972-7931.
