Jermaine Jeremiah Brim, 39, was charged with first-degree murder and carjacking
The identities of the suspect and victim in a fatal stabbing aboard a San Francisco Bay Area BART train have been identified.
Jermaine Jeremiah Brim, 39, was charged with first-degree murder and carjacking in the Tuesday slaying of 49-year-old Oliver Williams at the South Hayward BART station.
Officials said that Brim had walked away from an area hospital and was listed as a missing person at risk when he wandered into the train system with no shoes on.
Police said that Brim, who was shirtless and barefoot, was trying to steal the shoes of a sleeping passenger when Williams tried to intervene.
Williams pulled out his own pocketknife, but Brim gained control of the weapon and used it stab him several times, according to police.
The shirtless suspect is seen following the stabbing at the South Hayward station
The suspect (pictured in handcuffs) was arrested a block away from the stabbing
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ShareOfficers boarded the train and found Williams, an Oakland resident, bleeding. He died at the scene.
Brim was apprehended at a car dealership a short distance away, where witnesses said that he attempted to steal a van.
Brim is being held at the Santa Rita Jail without bail. It was unclear if he has an attorney who could speak on his behalf.
Court records show that Brim has a lengthy criminal record, including weapons charges and DUI.
Officials say that there was little they could have done to stop the murder.
'Short of having an officer on that train car, this would've been hard to prevent,' BART interim Police Chief Ed Alvarez said. 'Both individuals took it upon themselves to start a fight... It's something that unfortunately, it happened and that one man lost his life as a result of it.'
As a safety precaution, the agency said it will increase the presence of police officers on trains and at station platforms.
'We are heartbroken that a person has lost his life due to violence on one of our trains,' Robert Powers, the agency´s general manager, said in a statement.
A man who was stabbed to death aboard a San Francisco Bay Area commuter train (pictured) on Tuesday may have been trying to stop the theft of another rider´s shoes, authorities said
Officers are seen collecting evidence at the scene
It is only the latest instance of violence and chaos on a BART train.
The stabbing follows the death of 18-year-old Nia Wilson, who was stabbed last year in an unprovoked attack on her and her sister in an Oakland BART station.
John Cowell, a 27-year-old parolee, was found competent to stand trial but his case is in legal limbo. A judge in October agreed to seal a motion by Cowell´s attorney to dismiss the case.
The family of Wilson claims BART failed in its duty to ensure its customers are safe.
However, transit police in San Francisco have come under fire for being too aggressive after officers were filmed handcuffing a man for eating a sandwich while waiting to board a train earlier this month.
An officer was seen in the video appearing to grab 31-year-old Steve Foster, who is black, holding onto his rucksack as the passenger pleaded to be let go.
The incident sparked mass protests against transit cops, and BART General Manager Robert Powers issued an apology to Foster.
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