Woman, 84, dies after being pushed off Little Tokyo Metro platform, officials say [Updated]

Authorities are saying that a push sent an 84-year-old woman to her death after she fell onto the tracks at the Metro station in Little Tokyo.

[Corrected at 1:33 p.m.: Coroner's officials initially reported that the woman was 86. She was 84.]

Betty Sugiyama was standing on the platform at the Gold Line station on Sunday morning when another woman pushed her off, police said. Detectives said witnesses reported that Sugiyama did not provoke the attack.

Jackkqueline Pogue, 44, was arrested on the platform soon after, and is expected to be charged with murder, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.

A motive was unclear Monday afternoon, as homicide detectives continued their investigation.

After the incident, Sugiyama was taken to a nearby hospital, where she died Sunday night. Assistant chief coroner Ed Winter said it appeared she was not struck by a train.

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-- Robert Faturechi

Photo: DMV via KTLA News

Comments

[stevor]

I imagine that a woman with the name, "Jackkqueline" comes from a part of town where drugs are more prevalent and drugs might have been part of the problem.
Thankfully, the Calif folks were SMART ENOUGH to not make Marijuana legal.

[JadedintheOC]

What could an 86 year old woman done to provoke this thing to push her off into the tracks?

[LilySweet]

Seriously, what is wrong with people in this City? Pushing an 86-year old woman, what harm could she have possibly done to someone who spells her name so wacky?

[JoeGillis]

When I lived in L.A. and waited for a Metro Rail train I always stood way back on the platform with my back to a pillar or a billboard. That way I had no one behind me and I could watch everyone. I would watch people stand close to the tracks and think, Jesus, any minute some nutcase is going to push them onto the tracks. This time there was no train coming - the old lady died from the fall. Imagine if there had been a train: the conductor and everyone watching would have been traumatized for life.

By the way, I'm pretty sure it will turn out that the 44 year-old woman who pushed the 86 year-old lady onto the tracks was mentally ill and she'll get life in the loony bin instead of the death penalty. Maybe she was not supposed to be out and about but was let out by mistake.

[A.]

I ride Metro all the time, and keep an eye on those around me when I am on a platform specifically for this reason. I thought I was just being a bit paranoid. God bless this woman's family.

[DRE DAWG]

my heartfelt condolences to the Sugiyama Family

[Jasmine]

May this lady rest in peace.

As for us that get to stay here, we got to be careful anywhere and from everybody at every moment. So sad we have to be on "Attack Mode".

People have become so rude and the saddest thing is that these peeps are teaching (by example) their own children how to disrespect others property, as well as to disrespect human life.

[Gerald Sills]

Looks like the Death Panels are already in session, and they have found jobs for their useful idiots. This happening in California is no surprise; it is a state run by Communists, for the purpose of furthering Communism. My most sincere condolences to the fine patriotic Americans who must live in that giant cesspool.

[Drew]

Looks like it's time for Gerald Sills to take his meds...

[john]

They should install double door/guard at the stations, like they have in Seoul, South Korea's subway stations. Keeps people from getting killed/hurt accidentally/intentionally.

[Huh?]

Stevor - what does marijuana have to do with this? Did the article say the attacker was under the influence? Stay on topic for god's sake or don't say anything at all!

RIP to this poor woman. What is this world coming to?

[skaplan40]

Marijuana doesn't make you push people into oncoming trains. Pot makes you hungry, not homicidal. Please.

I am sure it will be discovered that this woman was mentally ill.

[mark thomas]

Gerald put a sock in it! Californians are Communists huh? Californian's aren't patriotic huh? Hey Gerald, how many troops do you think come out of California fighting for your peace and your rights to make assinine statements like that? But I guess they aren't patriotic soldiers, they're something else because they come from California? Typical small idealogy from the ignorant. Maybe instead of cutting everyone down with your obvious sad state of existence you could turn it around and try the positive side of life. But I guess your depressing life only allows you to attack others from the sanctity of your home, which is in what great state??? Maybe if this country tried pulling together instead of pulling apart we'd fare better. What's even more sad is you have turned this tragic loss of life into a political issue you baneless excuse for a human being. Lets wish the Sugiyama family our condolences and learn that there are potentials for danger in these situation and lets all be aware. This country and ALL its states are great, individuals, as if evidenced by Gerald, are sometimes not so great.

[Patriot]

Condolences to the family of Ms. Sugiyama. The fact that she was riding the train at age 86 sounds like she was in good health until the end, God bless her!

[G]

JoeGillis has a point. I used to stand around the tracks just for the heck of it, but now I know better. Never know what's going to happen these days.

[eptronic]

Kind of a leap there, Stevor. You must be a psychic to infer all that about a person's character from their name. Racist much?

Also, regarding marijuana. Yeah, I am sick of all those reports of people smoking weed and then killing others. Do yourself a favor, go get some and free yourself from your hate.

[wow]

awful awful awful.
this has nothing to do with the city or the section this person was from.
i am a daily rider and i stand back from the tracks for fear of having a looney (or someone else in a hurry) come running by. crazy people exist in all places of this world. its not a los angeles thing. or a california thing. or a US thing. mentally unstable people are everywhere.
do we have an appropriate system to help these looney tunes? not always.
this is a tragedy, but please dont hi-jack this case for your own agenda or in order to bash LA. its completly insensitive, ignorant and tacky to do so.
such an awful tragedy.
may betty sugiyama and her fammily find peace and justice.

[Susannah2k]

It's always a good idea to stand well back from the edge of the platform. Not only are there mentally ill people and those of malicious intent, but someone hurrying along could accidentally bump you, or you might suddenly feel faint or something, and the further away you are from the edge, the less likely is a terrible outcome.

[Eric]

Gosh, it doesn't matter what the story is -- politics, sports, business -- before too long there will be someone like stevor posting a stupid racist comment because his own life is so small. Good thing, probably, that a guy like him gets to let off steam online. That way, he remains fairly harmless, safely tucked away under his little rock, just him and his computer.

[Ray]

Why isn't there a railing/fence on the platform next to the tracks?
This wacko must be from NYC.

[Streets]

My God! My prayers to the victim and her family, poor defenseless lady. Please people trust no one!!! Watch out for yourselves, and remember that sick evil animals are all around you. Stay alert!!!!

[Rafa]

How, in the face of such a senseless tragedy, do a few narrow minded conservaracists manage to interject racism and politcs into this? What is wrong with you people? You have the audacity to call yourselves "patriots', yet your way of thinking is exactly why we have made enemies out of most of the world, and have sealed our doom as the once great United States of America. Had you any morals whatsoever, you'd be ashamed of yourselves!

[Dee]

I lived in D.C. in the 70s when they built the Metro and it simply never occurred to anyone that someone might do something like this. Of course back then we never heard of people cutting fetuses out of pregnant women either. Do we all still think America is what it once was?

[Kevin]

Yeah, Stevor! She was probably drunk. What a jerk you are for saying that!

My heart goes out to Betty Sugiyama's family. What a tragedy! I don't care if Jackkqueline Pogue is criminal or crazy! He needs to be locked up SOMEWHERE for the rest of her life!

[RUJoking?!]

A picture of the suspected murderess? HA HA HA!!! Not with a name like Jackkqueline!!! Not PC enough.

Can't have the sheeple getting ideas.