Victim of Fatal Stabbing at Sylmar Metrolink Station Identified

Victim of Fatal Stabbing at Sylmar Metrolink Station Identified

LASD has also identified the 23-year-old suspect

CREDIT by Maria Luisa Torres, San Fernando Valley Sun/el Sol

August 5, 2026

A perimeter set up by the LAPD at the Sylmar Metrolink Station after a man, identified as Rudy Ortiz, was fatally stabbed, July 31. (SFVS/el Sol Photo/Gabriel Arizon)

The Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner (DME) has released the name of the victim killed in a stabbing death on the Metrolink platform at the Sylmar-San Fernando station last Friday. Authorities arrested a suspect several hours following the deadly incident.

Rudy Ortiz was 30 years old. His manner of death was listed as homicide, caused by stab wound(s) to the neck, according to the DME. No additional information about the victim has been released, said Officer Nathalie Downs of the LA Police Department (LAPD).

LAPD Mission Division officers responded to a call about the stabbing at the station on Frank Modugno Drive shortly after 2 p.m. on July 31. They discovered the victim bleeding on the platform, where he was later pronounced dead. 

Officers set up a perimeter around the site of the crime – near Hubbard Street and San Fernando Road in Sylmar – and conducted a multi-hour search for the perpetrator. An adult male suspect was taken into custody at approximately 7 p.m.

The suspect has been identified as 23-year-old Gabriel Medina. His bail is set at $2 million.

The San Fernando Valley Sun/el Sol reached out to Metrolink for comment, which provided a statement. In the statement, they emphasized their partnership with the LA County Sheriff’s Department and the LASD Metrolink Bureau – which has jurisdiction for responding to crimes committed aboard Metrolink trains. 

“As the Sylmar/San Fernando Station owner and operator, the Los Angeles Department of Transportation also oversees independently contracted security,” the statement said. “With safety at the core of our operations, we are all committed to identifying opportunities for improvements to ensure that our stations are clean, welcoming, safe and well-maintained for Metrolink customers.”

Gabriel Arizon contributed to this article.

CREDIT by Maria Luisa Torres, San Fernando Valley Sun/el Sol

The San Fernando Valley Sun - https://sanfernandosun.com/