Police have apprehended the suspect who they believe killed a man by shoving him off a platform in front of an oncoming train at the Old Town trolley station in San Diego on New Years Day. Police say the attack appeared to happen “without provocation,” but “it is still early in the investigation.”
Suspect Arrested In Murder Investigation
According to San Diego Police, Ryan Michael Rukstelis, 26, was arrested for murder on Tuesday. In their statement, the San Diego Police Department said that the male victim exited a southbound trolley with the male suspect shortly before he was pushed in front of the train. The victim was later identified as Martin Andara.
Trolley security contacted police about the incident around 6:15 am on Saturday and first responders found the man “with obvious trauma to his upper body” when they arrived at the scene. He was later pronounced dead at the scene.
The suspect has been described as a “light-skinned” man with a thin build between 5’7 and 5’9 and wearing black clothing, according to the Times of San Diego. The suspect boarded a trolley and fled the scene after the attack happened.
Police Asking For Help
While they do have a suspect in custody, the police are still working on putting together the details of what happened. In addition to reviewing footage of the incident, they are asking anyone with any information to reach out to the SDPD Homicide Unit at 619-531-2293 and Crime Stoppers at 888-580-8477.
“We’re very hopeful that we will have a resolution to this case,” Lieutenant Andra Brown said. “But anyone with information, we ask that they call the San Diego Police Department or Crime Stoppers. They can remain anonymous if they wish, but we’re going to need a little help on this one.”
