East Pasadena Metro Station Stabbing Suspect Returns to Court Tuesday

A hearing is scheduled Tuesday to set a preliminary hearing date for a man accused of stabbing a fellow passenger at a Metro rail station in East Pasadena last year.

Antonio Olivera, 37, faces two felony charges — assault with a deadly weapon and assault by means of force likely to produce great bodily injury — stemming from the April 17, 2025, attack at the Sierra Madre Villa station. The hearing is set for 8:30 a.m. in Department H of the Pasadena Courthouse, 300 East Walnut Street.

The preliminary hearing, once scheduled, will determine whether prosecutors have sufficient evidence for the case to proceed to trial. In California felony cases, a judge reviews evidence at the preliminary hearing and decides whether to “hold the defendant to answer” — a legal term meaning the case advances toward trial.

According to news reports at the time, the stabbing occurred around 7:45 a.m. on the pedestrian bridge leading to the Sierra Madre Villa station. The victim, a man in his 30s, suffered multiple stab wounds to his upper body and was hospitalized in critical but stable condition, news reports said.

Authorities said an altercation began in the station parking lot and continued onto the bridge. The two men were strangers, police said at the time.

Los Angeles County Sheriff’s deputies arrested Olivera moments after the stabbing.

Olivera was wearing a security guard uniform but was not employed by Metro, according to the Sheriff’s Department. He was initially booked on suspicion of attempted murder before the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office filed the assault charges on April 22, 2025.

Olivera has remained in custody since his arrest. He made his first court appearance on April 30, 2025.

The Sheriff’s Department is leading the investigation with assistance from Metro and Pasadena police. Metro operated bus shuttles between the Allen and Arcadia stations while authorities processed the crime scene.

Anyone with information about the case can contact the Transit Services Bureau at 323-563-5000 or Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477.