A woman who stabbed open a sleeping man's chest on a trolley in La Jolla was sentenced Thursday to 13 years in state prison.
Angelina Montes Stricklen, 31, pleaded guilty to attempted murder for the Oct. 22, 2023, attack on the 21-year-old victim.
Police said the man was asleep at around 5 p.m. while aboard a trolley stopped at the Nobel Trolley Station.
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At Stricklen's sentencing hearing, Deputy District Attorney Roza Egiazarian said surveillance footage showed Stricklen first took the man's cellphone, which went unnoticed because the victim was asleep. She then pulled out a knife and plunged it into the man's chest, narrowly missing his heart, according to the prosecutor.
After the stabbing, the man got off the trolley and flagged MTS security for help, according to police.
Law enforcement later circulated photographs of the woman and sought the public's help in identifying her. Police did not release details regarding Stricklen's arrest, but county jail records indicate she was booked into custody on Oct. 30.
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Investigators originally said the suspect was a 5-feet 9-inches tall man wearing black clothing.
On Oct. 31, investigators told NBC 7 that MTS Trolley officers, who recognized the suspect from a wanted flyer, arrested Stricklen the day before at the Lemon Grove stop.
Deputy Public Defender Sarah Brand argued that while "Ms. Stricklen's conduct in this case cannot be excused," she said Stricklen had suffered a substantial amount of abuse and trauma throughout her life and also has mental health issues that played a role in what happened.
San Diego Superior Court Judge Rachel Cano said she considered Stricklen's tumultuous past and issues, as well as her early guilty plea, in electing to impose a low term of five years for the attempted murder count. However, the judge doubled the sentence for a prior strike conviction and added an additional three years for an allegation of causing great bodily injury to the victim.
NBC 7 conducted an investigation into crime on public transit in San Diego, finding that crime reports on MTS buses and trolleys had surged since 2017. The MTS acknowledged an increase in crime but said that the rise can also be attributed to a new way they compile crime statistics.
This week, the MTS announced sweeping measurers to improve security on public transit in San Diego, including a doubling in the number of security officers in 2024.
