A 31-year-old homeless man accused in an early morning rampage around Union Station in which a security guard was hurt, police cars were damaged and a Metro vehicle was stolen and crashed was charged Monday with four counts of attempted murder.
Max Verdi, who’s expected to be arraigned sometime Monday afternoon in a downtown courtroom, is also facing four counts of second-degree burglary of a vehicle and one count of vandalism with more than $400 in damages and an allegation that he caused great bodily injury.
The trail of destruction began about 4:30 a.m. last Wednesday outside Union Station, according to LAPD Officer Sal Ramirez. Two LAPD black-and-whites were parked in a lot outside the station when the suspect smashed out windows in both vehicles and then stole some property from the patrol cars, he said. Verdi then allegedly smashed a window in a private vehicle parked in the lot and stole an ice ax.
A Metro security guard tried to stop him with pepper spray, but that failed to disable the man, Ramirez said.
Verdi then allegedly stole a Metro security vehicle and attempted to run the guards over before crashing into a pillar. He then returned to the station on foot, where on the Patsaouras Plaza side, he struck the security guard in the head with the ax, police and prosecutors allege.
He was ultimately subdued and arrested by LAPD officers at the nearby Amtrak train tracks. The security guard was taken to a hospital for treatment of what were described as non-life-threatening injuries.
Verdi faces a maximum sentence of more than 16 years to life in prison if convicted. He is being held on bail of more than $4.1 million.
>> Want to read more stories like this? Get our Free Daily Newsletters Here!