University employee dies of natural causes
A parking services employee died of natural causes Tuesday
morning, according to university police.
The employee collapsed in Dickson Plaza and was transported to
the UCLA Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead at 8:30 a.m.,
said Nancy Greenstein, director of community services for the
university police.
The employee’s name has not been released.
Man blamed for traincrash pleads not guilty
A man whose aborted suicide attempt is blamed for a wreck of two
trains that killed 11 people pleaded not guilty Tuesday to charges
of murder and arson.
Juan Manuel Alvarez, 25, who stood in shackles during a brief
hearing in Superior Court, is accused of leaving a car on train
tracks, causing a Metrolink train to derail and strike another
commuter train going the opposite way. The arson charge was related
to the crash, prosecutors said.
Alvarez was ordered held without bail pending a March 16
preliminary hearing to decide if there is enough evidence to try
him.
Alvarez was being held in a medical section of Los Angeles
County jail.
Investigators have said he stabbed himself and slashed his
wrists after the trains collided, though no injuries were
visible.
After the hearing, defense attorney Eric Chase said Alvarez has
been receiving medication and is “˜”˜less
suicidal.”
Reports from Bruin staff and wire services.