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Brutal VTA attack caught on camera in San Jose
A 26-year-old man has been arrested following the attack. The victim suffered several lacerations, but he is in stable condition. Video courtesy of Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office.
A man is facing an attempted murder charge after an attack on a Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority platform on Wednesday, according to the Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office.
The sheriff's office says the suspect, identified as Andrew Perez, 26, was arrested on charges of attempted murder, assault with a deadly weapon, possession of body armor during the commission of a felony, and interfering with safe transit operations.
The attack was captured on a security camera above the VTA platform, and released by the sheriff's office. The recording has no sound.
The video shows two men on the platform, one with platinum hair, Perez, and another man with a bicycle. At first, the men appear engaged in a conversation. Then, Perez, whom police are calling the suspect, approaches the man with the bike and hits him in the face.
Perez then throws the victim to the ground and kicks him in his head. As the victim attempts to get away, Perez puts him in a chokehold.
Andrew Perez, 26, has been arrested on an attempted murder charge. (Courtesy of Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office)
The video then changes perspectives, apparently switching to a second camera on the platform. Perez then begins a seemingly endless barrage of punches and kicks. The video ends when the victim runs off the platform, and Perez appears to follow him.
The footage also appears to show Perez striking the victim with an "unidentified weapon", according to the sheriff's office. However, law enforcement did not find any edged weapon at the scene.
The victim suffered an eight to ten-inch laceration to his forehead, which required seven staples to close. He had another 4-inch gash on his elbow, and a third on his left wrist, but he is in stable condition.
Law enforcement confirmed to KTVU that Perez left the scene and barricaded himself inside a nearby residence after the attack. The sheriff's office says Perez was also wearing an armor-plated vest. He was arrested after an hours-long standoff—an operation that included resources from San Jose Fire Department, California Highway Patrol, Sunnyvale Department of Public Safety, and the San Jose and Campbell police departments.
The sheriff's office says there appears to be no prior relationship between Perez and the victim.