Teen fatally stabbed in fight with Sacramento RT guard at Rancho Cordova station
A teenage boy is dead after he was allegedly stabbed Thursday by a Sacramento Regional Transit security guard during an altercation at a Rancho Cordova station, according to the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office.
Deputies detained the guard but had not arrested him as of Friday. The Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office and the Sacramento Regional Transit police are jointly investigating.
“At this stage of the investigation, no arrests have been made,” Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Sgt. Amar Gandhi said Friday. “Once the investigation is complete, our findings will be forwarded to the District Attorney’s Office for review, where a decision will be made regarding potential charges.”
The incident occurred about 4:45 p.m. Thursday at the Mather Field/Mills Transit Center on Mills Station Road, according to Regional Transit.
Sheriff’s officials said the teen and a girl were vaping on an RT bus when a security guard told them to stop. The teens were either escorted or exited the bus voluntarily, according to Gandhi. Afterward, the boy and the guard became involved in a physical altercation, during which the guard allegedly stabbed the teen. The boy was taken to a hospital and later died of his injuries.
It was unclear whether the girl was injured.
In a statement Friday morning, Sacramento Regional Transit officials said both teens were involved in the altercation and that the guard, who was not identified, may have acted in self-defense.
“The ongoing investigation indicates the employee was attacked by the two teens, which led to a stabbing in self-defense,” officials said.
The guards, classified as “Transit Ambassadors” by RT, work under the agency’s police services, and are posted aboard the transit system’s trains and its stations and park-and-ride lots, according to a description of duties.
“Transit Ambassadors are trained in de-escalation and customer service techniques,” spokesperson Jessica Gonzalez said in an email. “Although we don’t know the specifics of what transpired, they are not authorized to carry knives.”
Ambassadors are non-sworn personnel and do not have arrest powers. However, they must possess a Penal Code Section 830.14 certificate from the California Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training, which confirms eligibility for peace officer status in limited roles.
Their primary duties include customer service, addressing fare issues, monitoring stations and lots, and issuing citations for fare evasion or disturbances.
Regional Transit officials said they would continue cooperating with law enforcement and “take any further necessary actions” as the investigation proceeds.
.JPG)