Man Accused in Pasadena Metro Station Stabbing Returns to Court After a Year in Custody

More than a year after a man was stabbed on a pedestrian bridge at the Sierra Madre Villa Metro station, the suspect in the attack is due in a Pasadena courtroom Wednesday morning.

Antonio Olivera, 37, is scheduled for a pretrial hearing at 8:30 a.m. in Department H of the Pasadena Courthouse, 300 E. Walnut St. He faces two felony counts — assault with a deadly weapon and assault by means of force likely to produce great bodily injury — and has been in custody since his arrest on April 17, 2025. If convicted, Olivera could face up to four years in state prison, according to prior court reporting.

The charges stem from a stabbing that occurred around 7:45 a.m. that day on the pedestrian bridge that crosses the 210 Freeway and leads to the Sierra Madre Villa station at 149 N. Halstead St., a stop on the Metro A Line. Pasadena Public Information Officer Lisa Derderian confirmed the time of the incident shortly after the attack. Authorities said the victim, a man in his 30s, suffered multiple stab wounds to his upper body and was hospitalized in critical but stable condition.

Los Angeles County Sheriff’s deputies arrested Olivera moments after the attack. He was initially booked at Temple Sheriff’s Station on suspicion of attempted murder before the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office filed the two felony assault charges on April 22, 2025.

Authorities said an altercation began in the station parking lot and escalated onto the bridge. The two men were strangers, according to police. Olivera was wearing a security guard uniform at the time but was not employed by or contracted with Metro, the Sheriff’s Department said. He had been using the transit system as a rider.

The attack forced Metro to operate bus shuttles between the Allen and Arcadia stations while authorities processed the scene. The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department has led the investigation with assistance from Metro and Pasadena police.

Olivera first appeared in court on April 30, 2025, and the case has moved through several hearings at the Pasadena Courthouse over the past year. Wednesday’s pretrial hearing is the latest proceeding as the case continues through the legal process.

The victim’s name and current condition have not been released. Authorities have not disclosed a motive, and no information has been made public regarding Olivera’s prior criminal history or his relationship to the victim.

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

The Pasadena Courthouse is located at 300 E. Walnut St. Department H is on the sixth floor. The court’s phone number is 626-396-3314.