KTLA

Woman charged with murder in fatal stabbing of Metro employee on train in DTLA

LAPD released these photos of a woman with her bike after she allegedly stabbed to death a Metro employee at the 7th Street/Metro Center station in downtown Los Angeles on Oct. 16, 2020.

A 25-year-old Los Angeles woman has been charged with murder in the fatal stabbing of a transit employee on a Red Line train near a station in downtown L.A., prosecutors said Wednesday.

Irma Monroy also faces an allegation of using a knife as a deadly weapon, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office. She’s scheduled to be arraigned Wednesday.


Monroy is accused of stabbing 54-year-old Louis Rabinowitz once in the chest after getting into an argument with him on the train near the 7th Street/Metro Center Station last Friday night, the DA’s Office said. Rabinowitz died a short time later.

The victim was an employee of the L.A. County Metropolitan Transportation Authority, according to the agency. Metro officials could not confirm whether he was working at the time.

Security cameras captured an image of the suspect, who was seen exiting the downtown station with a green bicycle the night of the deadly stabbing. A knife was seized, along with a green bike, when Monroy was arrested, authorities said.

The suspect also faces an assault charge from a separate case stemming from an Aug. 31 incident in which she allegedly attacked her brother with a weight, according to the DA’s office. A warrant was filed in that case on Sept. 25.

The Los Angeles Police Department continues to investigate both incidents.

If convicted on the murder charge, Monroy could be sentenced to up to 16 years to life in prison, prosecutors said. She is being held on more than $2 million bail.