An incident aboard an LA Metro train has garnered attention following the ejection of an 18-year-old passenger, Bethany Nava. The episode, which unfolded on a Los Angeles Metro train, involved an encounter between Nava and an officer of the law, resulting in her removal from the train at the Vermont/Santa Monica station.
The situation escalated when the officer directed Nava to comply with a warning/direction, which she allegedly failed to adhere to. According to reports, the officer informed Nava of her non-compliance and instructed her to disembark the train, citing a violation of the train’s rules. This directive was met with resistance from Nava, who vocally contested her removal, asserting her right to remain on the train as a paying passenger.
Video footage captured by onlookers depicts the officer physically pulling Nava by the arm as she vocalizes her objections, citing payment for her right to remain on board and disputing the alleged infraction of train regulations. The confrontation continued as Nava was eventually escorted off the train and restrained against the platform wall by the officer, leading to a verbal exchange between the involved parties.
He then begins pulling her by the arm, as she begins shouting, “I paid to be on this train” and “you’re pulling me off the train, I can’t get my stuff.”
“This is not f*****g fair that you took me off the train because I had my foot there because I was comfortable like that,” she said.
“There is no law that tells me that I cannot sit that way because I paid to be in there” but the officer replied: “It’s the rules of the train.”
The incident did not conclude there, as bystanders, including a woman identified as 22-year-old Selina Lechuga, voiced their objections to the officer’s actions. Lechuga engaged in a heated exchange with the officer, accusing him of unwarranted targeting and expressing discontent with what she perceived as excessive enforcement.
As the situation escalated further, additional law enforcement officers arrived at the scene. Amid ongoing verbal altercations and accusations, both Nava and Lechuga were handcuffed and taken into custody.
The Metro’s 28-page customer code of conduct states that “placing feet or shoes on seats or furnishings” is prohibited disorderly conduct, which may be penalized with a warning and/or ejection from the train.
