Sacramento DA declines to bring charges over RT stabbing death in Rancho Cordova
A Sacramento Regional Transit ambassador who fatally stabbed 16-year-old Michael Berry during a confrontation at a Rancho Cordova light rail station will not be prosecuted, the Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office said.
The decision followed a monthslong investigation by the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office that concluded there was insufficient evidence to support criminal charges.
“Based on the totality of the facts and circumstances there is insufficient evidence to file charges and sustain a conviction on the guilt beyond a reasonable doubt standard,” the DA’s Office said in a written statement. “Therefore, we declined to file charges.”
The stabbing occurred June 19 at the Mather Field/Mills Transit Center on Mills Station Road, just after 4:45 p.m., according to the Rancho Cordova Police Department, which is contracted for service with the Sheriff’s Office. Deputies said Berry and a teenage girl had been told to stop vaping on a bus by the RT ambassador, who was not publicly identified. After the teens exited the vehicle, a physical altercation ensued.
The ambassador stabbed Berry during the struggle, the Sheriff’s Office said. He later died at a hospital.
Transit Ambassadors are not peace officers but are certified by the state’s law enforcement standards agency. They assist passengers and help enforce some rules, such as fare compliance. They are not permitted to carry firearms or knives, a Regional Transit spokesperson confirmed.
Last month, Berry’s family filed a lawsuit against the city of Sacramento and RT alleging wrongful death alleging the agency neglected to ensure the safety of their passengers.
It’s not clear if the RT employee involved in the incident has returned to work. The agency cannot comment due to the pending lawsuit, an agency spokesperson said.
Berry, a Fair Oaks resident, was described as “bright, funny and loving,” by his cousin Heaven Billups in a GoFundMe launched to support the family.
