An engineer deliberately ran a train off the tracks at high speed near the Port of Los Angeles in an attempt to crash into the USNS Mercy hospital ship, prosecutors say.
The Pacific Harbor Line train derailed Tuesday, running through the end of the track and crashing through barriers, finally coming to rest about 250 yards from the docked naval ship.
Federal prosecutors allege train engineer Eduardo Moreno, 44, of San Pedro intended to hit the ship, saying he thought it was “suspicious” and did not believe “the ship is what they say it’s for.'”
The train crashed into a concrete barrier at the end of the track, smashed through a steel barrier and a chain-link fence, slid through one parking lot and then a second lot filled with gravel and hit a second chain-link fence. It came to rest after passing under a ramp leading to the Vincent Thomas Bridge. The train remained in that position Wednesday.
No one was injured in the derailment, but the train leaked fuel that required a hazmat response.
Judge rules federal agents must limit tear gas at protests near Portland ICE building
Trump admin sued by New York, New Jersey over Hudson River tunnel funding freeze: ‘See you in court’
Girl, 12, dangles from ski chairlift in California before crashing to ground in terrifying video
White House approves Medal of Honor for fallen Army Staff Sgt Michael Ollis after years-long push
Lawmakers probe National FFA over Chinese Communist Party ties and DEI programs
Mamdani calls on DA to not prosecute mentally ill man shot by police during knife attack
Reps. Anna Paulina Luna and Tim Burchett Drop SAVE Act Demands After Meeting with Trump
Trump reacts to NBC host Savannah Guthrie’s mother Nancy’s mysterious abduction
Op-Ed: Trump is a Performer – Let Him Perform
California business group unveils Times Square billboard comparing Newsom to NY Jets during Super Bowl week
Trump shames CNN’s Kaitlan Collins for not smiling when asking president about Epstein survivors
Mike Johnson backs ‘America Is Back!’ message as Trump debuts new hat design
These are the 21 House Republicans who held out against Trump, Johnson on $1.2T spending bill
Mitch McConnell hospitalized after experiencing flu-like symptoms over the weekend
Jill Biden’s Ex-Husband Charged with Murder
Authorities say Moreno admitted to crashing the train intentionally, but said he did not plan it out in advance. It is believed that he acted alone.
He allegedly made statements to a CHP officer that included “You only get this chance once. The whole world is watching. I had to. People don’t know what’s going on here. Now they will.”
Officials say video from inside the train’s cab shows Moreno holding a lighted flare during the incident.
Moreno has been charged with one count of train wrecking, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison.
The Mercy arrived at the Port of Los Angeles this weekend.
The Navy hospital ship was brought in to handle non-coronavirus patients, to help ease the burden of local hospitals that are surging with COVID-19 cases.
The ship has about 1,000 hospital beds, with some 800 active-duty doctors, nurses and medical staff on board. It is expected to stay in Los Angeles at least until September or until it is no longer needed.
Story cited here.
