A terrifying SkyTrain ride unfolded in Vancouver when a man with a knife in his bloody hand allegedly stalked a female passenger.
The young woman boarded the train at Waterfront Station on Tuesday afternoon and noticed a man "staring intently at her," said Transit Police in a news release on Friday.
The man, who had blood on his hand, continued to play with an eight-inch knife while staring at her.
The woman tried to move several times to distance herself from him, but he kept following closely, said the statement from Transit Police spokeswoman Anne Drennan.
At Columbia Station — which is roughly a half-hour ride from Waterfront — she tried to get off the train, but the man blocked her exit.
By this point, other passengers had set off the safety alarms on the train, as well as texted Transit Police for help.
As the train reached Scott Road Station, frightened passengers including the woman all got off the train, said Drennan. The suspect followed.
He proceeded to the bus loop and tried to stop a moving bus. When he couldn't, he threw a bottle of liquor into the air and tried to flee.
Three passengers chased and tackled him, holding the suspect until police arrived.
Melvin Estuardo Ascon Carias, 21, of no fixed address, has been charged with forcible confinement, assault with a weapon, possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose, and breach of probation. He remains in custody pending his next court appearance.
In December 2014, Carias was convicted of two counts of assault with a weapon. Part of his probation in that case included a ban on carrying any weapons, being on a SkyTrain, and consuming alcohol.
"While we would never recommend that citizens put themselves at risk, we commend the actions of numerous witnesses to these offences for their actions in assisting both the victim and the police," said Drennan.
She added that the woman, who was "extremely traumatized," has been offered victim support services.
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