Juan Manuel Álvarez

Case record

Juan Manuel Álvarez (born February 26, 1979) was a laborer from Compton, California.

He parked his gasoline-soaked sport-utility vehicle on railroad tracks and waited for a southbound Metrolink commuter train. At the approach of the train, he exited, apparently abandoning a suicide attempt, and observed the train colliding with his SUV from a safe distance. The collision caused the train to derail. The derailed train then hit a Union Pacific Railroad freight train parked on a siding, as well as a northbound Metrolink train on the third track.

The collision left 11 people dead and nearly 200 injured.

Alvarez was allegedly suicidal long before the incident occurred. According to some reports, he had attempted suicide previously. He was a known methamphetamine addict, prone to delusional behavior. At the time of the train crash, Alvarez, the father of two young children, was experiencing marital difficulties.

Police initially believed that Alvarez decided to kill himself that day, but that he changed his mind immediately before the train hit his vehicle, jumping out of the car and observing as the collision took place. Police say following investigations indicated Alvarez may have intended to cause the crash without committing suicide.

Authorities filed additional charges against him for murder with intent. Prosecutors sought the death penalty for his crimes under a seldom-used law making train wrecking, causing a person's death, a capital offense. This 1873 law was created to prosecute Old West train robbers who were known to blow up the tracks to rob a train.

The offence

The incident involved a collision between trains and a vehicle left on the tracks in Glendale, California (a suburb of Los Angeles).

On January 26, 2005, at 6:03 a.m. PST, a southbound Metrolink commuter train #100 collided with a sport utility vehicle that had been abandoned on the tracks immediately south of the Chevy Chase Drive grade crossing and near a Costco retail store on the Glendale–Los Angeles boundary, in an industrial area, north of downtown Los Angeles. The chain-reaction collisions resulted in the deaths of 11 people.

Witnesses testified that Alvarez left the SUV on the track after dousing it with gasoline. He ran away, but was tracked down based on various identification cards found at the scene. He was found at a friend’s home in Atwater Village, not far from the site of the derailment.

Investigation

A National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) team investigated the crash. The Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen's (BLET) Safety Task Force assisted the NTSB. The Glendale Police Department led the criminal investigation, assisted by the Union Pacific Police Department and the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. The criminal case was tried in Los Angeles County Superior Court.

The southbound Metrolink train (#100) struck the parked Jeep that had been driven by Alvarez onto the tracks at the Chevy Chase Drive grade crossing just west of San Fernando Road. The impact pushed the Jeep southward along the track towards the Los Feliz Boulevard undercrossing until automotive parts struck a track switch and became lodged under the leading car of the Metrolink train, raising it up and causing the train to derail. Cars from the derailed train jackknifed, hitting both the locomotive of the stationary freight train and sideswiping the rear of the passing northbound #901 Metrolink passenger train. This caused the rear cars of the northbound train to derail, and at least one car rolled over onto its side. A fire, involving one or more passenger cars, was caused by spilled diesel fuel.

The root cause of the accident was attributed to Alvarez, who deliberately drove and left his vehicle onto the tracks while allegedly attempting to commit suicide. The description included that he had slashed his wrists and stabbed himself repeatedly in the chest, parked his car on the tracks to finish the attempt, and then changed his mind and attempted to leave the railroad tracks. Because he was unable to dislodge his vehicle from rain-soaked gravel and slick rails, he abandoned the vehicle moments before the crowded southbound train approached. There was some speculation that Alvarez may have inflicted the wounds on himself after the crash, based on some early reports by witnesses.

Early rumors of the incident being a terrorist attack were dismissed, as no connections to any terrorist organization existed with the suspect.

Police on the scene found Alvarez wandering the streets repeating "I'm sorry"; they remanded him into custody after determining that it was his vehicle parked on the tracks.

Arrest and charges

Facing 11 counts of murder, Alvarez pleaded not guilty at his arraignment on February 15, 2005.

On August 26, 2005, prosecutors officially announced that they would seek the death penalty against Alvarez and were prepared to use a rarely cited "train wrecking" statute in California law.

Alvarez was charged with 11 counts of murder with "special circumstances." He was also charged with one count of arson related to the incident. He was also charged with a train wrecking charge.

Authorities and Alvarez's legal defense claimed Alvarez was planning to commit suicide but changed his mind at the last minute.

Trial

During the eight-week trial, prosecutors argued that Alvarez intended to kill commuters as part of a attempt to gain attention from his estranged wife when he parked his sport-utility vehicle on the train tracks. Defense attorneys said Alvarez never meant to harm anyone and described his actions as part of an aborted suicide attempt.

On June 26, 2008, a Los Angeles County Superior Court jury found Alvarez guilty of 11 counts of first degree murder with special circumstances.

The jury also found Alvarez guilty of one count of arson related to the incident.

The jury found him not guilty of one count of train wrecking. Jurors additionally found untrue the special circumstance of train wrecking.

Sentencing

On July 7, 2008, the hearing for sentencing for Alvarez started.

On July 15, 2008, the jury recommended a sentence of life imprisonment without the possibility of parole after deliberating for less than a half-day.

The same jurors had taken just over a day to convict Alvarez earlier in June 2008 of 11 counts of first-degree murder with the special circumstance of multiple murders.

On August 20, 2008, Alvarez was sentenced to 11 consecutive life sentences. He was told by the judge that he would not be eligible for parole.

Appeals

Defense attorney Michael Belter filed a notice of appeal on Alvarez's behalf.

Outcome

Alvarez was convicted of:

• 11 counts of first degree murder with special circumstances
• one count of arson

Alvarez was acquitted of:

• one count of train wrecking

The jury found:

• the special circumstance of train wrecking untrue

Alvarez was sentenced to:

• 11 consecutive life sentences on August 20, 2008

Casualties

A total of 11 passengers were killed in the collision, and between 100 and 200 people were injured.

Fatalities listed in the case record were:

• Manuel Alcala, 51, West Hills, Los Angeles
• James Tutino, 47, Simi Valley (Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department)
• Scott McKeoun, 42, Moorpark
• Thomas Ormiston, 58, Northridge (the train’s conductor from the northbound #901 Metrolink train)
• Leonard Romero, 53, Rancho Cucamonga
• Henry Kilinski, 39, Orange
• Alfonso Caballero, 62, Winnetka, Los Angeles
• Julie Bennett, 44, Simi Valley
• Don Wiley, 58, Simi Valley
• Elizabeth Hill, 65
• William Parent, 53, of Simi Valley

Timeline

• February 15, 2005 — Alvarez pleaded not guilty at arraignment.
• January 26, 2005 — Southbound Metrolink commuter train #100 collided with a sport utility vehicle abandoned on the tracks; chain-reaction collisions resulted in 11 deaths.
• August 26, 2005 — Prosecutors announced they would seek the death penalty and were prepared to use a rarely cited "train wrecking" statute.
• June 26, 2008 — A jury found Alvarez guilty of 11 counts of first degree murder with special circumstances and one count of arson; he was found not guilty of one count of train wrecking.
• July 7, 2008 — Sentencing hearing for Alvarez started.
• July 15, 2008 — The jury recommended life imprisonment without the possibility of parole.
• August 20, 2008 — Alvarez was sentenced to 11 consecutive life sentences.

Other details

Metrolink temporarily roped off the first cars in all trains immediately following the accident; passengers sat starting in the second car. Metrolink gradually modified this policy, and as of 2007, the line permitted passengers to sit in a portion of the first car when in "push mode." Seating was not permitted in a roped-off forwardmost section of the first car just behind the engineer's cab.

The incident was described as the deadliest Metrolink disaster in its history.

Remembrance and related acknowledgements

In an October 14, 2009 article appearing in the Los Angeles Times, Metrolink announced it had reached an agreement to settle most of the remaining claims.

For remembrance, Metrolink asked all train engineers to sound their trains' horns at 12:01 Pacific Time on February 2, 2005. The former Control Point Metro (milepost 3.3 on the Metrolink River Subdivision) was renamed Control Point Ormiston in memory of the conductor who was killed instantly.

Quotes

Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge William R. Pounders told Alvarez:

"if there were a sentence 'forever,' I would certainly give it to you."

Pounders also said:

"I don't believe for a minute you intended to kill yourself or harm yourself in any way," he said. "I think you were setting up a scenario so you could go back to your family."

Elaine Parent Siebers, sister of crash victim William Parent, said:

"Thank you for looking at me because I want you to know the pain you have caused me," she said. "You did a very bad and stupid thing. If you have tried to cause pain and anguish, you have definitely succeeded."

Siebers said:

"Because of your selfishness, you have bestowed this terrible nightmare upon us, and it will never end,"

Henry Romero, nephew of 53-year-old victim Leonardo Romero, said:

"I wish you the most miserable life possible,"

Hope Alcala said:

"Satan would ultimately deal with Alvarez."

Alcala added:

"Who knows if God will forgive you, because I can't," Alcala said.

Alvarez made no statement Wednesday.