Man stabbed, killed trying to stop theft of shoes on train

HAYWARD, Calif. — A man died after being stabbed with his own knife on a California commuter train while trying to stop the attacker from stealing the shoes of a sleeping passenger, authorities said Wednesday.

During the confrontation Tuesday in the San Francisco Bay Area, the victim pulled a knife that was wrestled away by the attacker and used to stab him several times, Bay Area Rapid Transit officials said in a statement.

Jermaine Jeremiah Brim, 39, of Sacramento was arrested near the Hayward station after he tried to steal a van at a car dealership, authorities said.

It was unclear if Brim has an attorney.

The arrest came after officers boarded the train and found the victim bleeding. He died at the scene. His name has been withheld pending notification to his family.

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.

The stabbing followed the high-profile 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.