Current:Home > FinanceMan gets 15 years to life for killing commuter he shoved into moving train in unprovoked attack-InfoLens
Man gets 15 years to life for killing commuter he shoved into moving train in unprovoked attack
View Date:2024-12-23 11:48:42
SAN DIEGO (AP) — A man who killed a commuter by shoving him into the side of a moving train in an unprovoked attack at a San Diego station was sentenced to 15 years to life in prison, prosecutors announced Friday.
Ryan Rukstelis, 27, was sentenced Thursday for the attack on New Year’s Day last year.
Prosecutors said Rukstelis attacked 68-year-old Martin Andara at the Old Town Transit Station. Andara, who was heading to work at a supermarket. Both men had been on the same trolley for about a half-hour beforehand but didn’t interact before they got off at the station.
“Rukstelis is seen on surveillance video walking ahead of Andara, then slowing and stopping to wait until he is even with the victim. Rukstelis suddenly attacked Andara for no reason, punching him and pushing him directly into a freight train that was moving past them,” the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office said in a statement.
Andara struck his head and died almost instantly, the office said.
Rukstelis was arrested three days later after police obtained his fingerprints. Surveillance video showed him trying to remove a broken front panel from a vending machine at another trolley station hours before the attack, and police lifted fingerprints from inside that panel, according to the district attorney’s statement.
Rukstelis pleaded guilty in June to second-degree murder.
“This random, chilling attack took the life of a man who was loved by his family, friends and colleagues,” District Attorney Summer Stephan said in the statement. “It is a tragic case that was solved by excellent police work and brought to justice by the Elder Abuse Unit in our office.”
veryGood! (6721)
Related
- Judith Jamison, a dancer both eloquent and elegant, led Ailey troupe to success over two decades
- Review: Full of biceps and bullets, 'Love Lies Bleeding' will be your sexy noir obsession
- Arizona’s most populous county has confirmed 645 heat-associated deaths in metro Phoenix last year
- 1 dead and 1 missing after kayak overturns on Connecticut lake
- CFP bracket prediction: SEC adds a fifth team to field while a Big Ten unbeaten falls out
- Half a century after murdered woman's remains were found in Connecticut, she's been identified
- Psst! Your Fave Brands Now Have Wedding Dresses & Bridal Gowns—Shop From Abercrombie, Reformation & More
- Chick-fil-A to open first mobile pickup restaurant: What to know about the new concept
- Disney Store's Black Friday Sale Just Started: Save an Extra 20% When You Shop Early
- Watch a tortoise in Florida cozy up for a selfie with a camera
Ranking
- Bull doge! Dogecoin soars as Trump announces a government efficiency group nicknamed DOGE
- How to Deep Clean Every Part of Your Bed: Mattress, Sheets, Pillows & More
- The Excerpt podcast: Climate change is making fungi a much bigger threat
- Christie Brinkley Shares Skin Cancer Diagnosis
- The Surreal Life’s Kim Zolciak Fuels Dating Rumors With Costar Chet Hanks After Kroy Biermann Split
- Love Is Blind Season 6 Reunion Is Here: Find Out Where the Couples Stand Now
- Transgender recognition would be blocked under Mississippi bill defining sex as ‘man’ or ‘woman’
- When is Selection Sunday for women’s March Madness? When brackets will be released.
Recommendation
-
Tennis Channel suspends reporter after comments on Barbora Krejcikova's appearance
-
Paul Alexander, Who Spent 70 Years in an Iron Lung, Dead at 78
-
Don Lemon's show canceled by Elon Musk on X, a year after CNN firing
-
Queen Camilla honored with Barbie doll: 'You've taken about 50 years off my life'
-
Arkansas governor unveils $102 million plan to update state employee pay plan
-
Scott Peterson's lawyers ask for new DNA test in push to overturn Laci Peterson conviction
-
Going abroad? Time to check if you're up to date on measles immunity, CDC says
-
Chrissy Teigen Shows Off Her Boob Lift Scars in Sexy See-Through Dress