A man suspected in an alleged unprovoked stabbing attack on an LAX custodian aboard a shuttle bus has pleaded not guilty to an attempted murder charge, according to court records.
Ryan M. Gimeno, 41, also denied a second charge of carrying a concealed dagger and was ordered to return to court in October to set a date for a preliminary hearing. Bail was increased to $2.1-million at an initial court appearance.
NB4’s I-Team reported last week that Gimeno was arrested by near the scene of the attack September 2, after the male custodian was stabbed repeatedly in front of his wife when the bus stopped at a red light near 104th Street and Aviation Blvd.
A previous version of this story reported the custodian who was attacked was a woman. A senior official at the LAX Police Department provided updated information Saturday that the stabbing victim was a man.
LAX Police officers arrested Gimeno nearby, the official said.
The custodian was taken to a trauma center in critical condition.
An LAPD spokesperson said last week the assault was unprovoked and a knife was found at the scene. Booking records described Gimeno as homeless.
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The custodian worked for LAX contractor ABM, which also operated the shuttle. A company spokesperson credited the driver with getting help as quickly as possible.
“We are providing assistance to our injured team member and his family, as well as Employee Assistance Program services to all our team members, and cooperating with the police in their investigation,” ABM told NBCLA.
LA Superior Court records showed Gimeno was awaiting trial on a charge of violating a protective order in May when he was arrested in this incident, and the records showed he had faced another felony assault charge in February.
The LAPD’s latest analysis of its interactions with the City’s homeless population showed a 15-percent increase in the number of serious assaults in which the attacker was described as homeless during the first half of 2020. This increase was reported as there were simultaneous large declines in almost all other categories of crime due to the stay at home directives that stemmed from the Coronavirus pandemic.
Editor's Note (9/13/20): This article has been updated from its original version to reflect the correction to the victim's gender; to update details on the responding law enforcement agency; and to update bail information.
