Victim of fatal Metro stabbing identified as family demands justice

Authorities have identified the victim of Monday morning’s fatal stabbing at a Universal City subway station.

Mirna Soza Arauz, 67, was killed after she was brutally attacked by a man as she left the Metro B Line for the station in the 3800 block of Lankershim Boulevard around 5 a.m., according to Los Angeles Police Department investigators.

She was stabbed in the throat during the apparently unprovoked attack and died after being rushed to a nearby hospital. Police say she was on her way home from a night shift at Tommy’s Burgers in North Hills when it happened.

The accused killer has been identified as 45-year-old homeless man Elliot Tramel Nowden, who was reportedly armed with two knives during the attack. He was arrested almost 30 minutes after the attack.

Police say he has a disturbing and violent criminal history, including previous assaults. In 2020, he was sentenced to four years in prison for assault with a deadly weapon conviction with an enhancement for causing great bodily harm. He served about half of that sentence before being released in 2022.

This attack is just the latest shocking act of violence the Metro transit system the past weeks. Last week, a Metro bus driver was involved in an altercation with a person who kicked in the glass door of the bus.

Before that, a male passenger was stabbed during a altercation that occurred on a Metro bus in the Silver Lake area, resulting in an arrest. That same day, a Metro bus driver was brutally attacked near South Los Angeles when a suspect hit and stabbed him before you flee. That man is still on the run.

“This incident is extremely tragic,” Dominic Choi, interim chief of the LAPD, said Tuesday during the Los Angeles Police Commission meeting. “It’s not just about the numbers, it’s about… the feeling of security.”

Colleagues say Arauz was saving money so she could return home to be with her children, who live in Nicaragua. They remember her for her big heart and her kindness, often taking people home after their shifts to ensure they arrived safely.

Relatives hope they can raise enough money to send Arauz back to Nicaragua so she can have a proper burial. You can find a GoFundMe by searching the keywords: “Fund Mirna’s trip home for final rest.”

“While we appreciate the first responders who tried to save her life, we hope that Mirna’s death does not go unnoticed and results in real change in public safety efforts in the area,” said a post from Arauz’s cousin on the fundraising page. “It’s a tragedy for Los Angeles’ immigrant community and for everyone who relies on the subway to get home safely. We will not rest until justice is served.”