A schizophrenic criminal lurked behind an unsuspecting straphanger, waiting for a Seattle train to approach before giving him a huge shove toward the tracks, heart-stopping video shows.
The victim, identified by court documents as Peter Michael Walbrun, was looking at his phone as his hooded assailant prowled just behind him, apparently waiting for the arrival of the train to strike.
As the train sped into the station, the attacker rushed forward, seemingly trying to shove Walbrun into the oncoming train, video shows.
Walbrun was able to catch himself and briefly grappled with his alleged attacker — identified by authorities as 26-year-old Elisio Melendez — who then ran off.
Melendez was arrested at a behavioral health facility near the train station on March 24, five days after the terrifying attack at Northgate train station.
He was previously charged with stabbing his sister in the stomach with a knife in 2021, but the case for second-degree assault and domestic violence was dismissed in 2021 after Melendez was found incompetent to stand trial due to his schizophrenia diagnosis, according to court records.