On March 19, 2026, at Seattle’s Northgate light rail station in Washington, 26-year-old Elisio Melendez approached a man waiting on the platform from behind and shoved him twice toward an oncoming inbound Blue Line train.
Surveillance video showed Melendez timing the push as the train entered the station, with the victim stumbling close enough for one hand to touch the side of the train before regaining balance and avoiding injury. Melendez attempted a second shove before fleeing. King County sheriff’s deputies arrested him nearby without incident.
On March 27, 2026, King County prosecutors charged Melendez with second-degree attempted murder, stating he
held on $750,000 bail.
Court records indicate Melendez was previously charged in 2019 with second-degree assault for stabbing his sister in the stomach. The case was dismissed after he was found incompetent to stand trial and committed to Western State Hospital in 2021.
