Berkeley Side:
BART police identified the suspect as Roli Okoropudu, a 34-year-old unsheltered woman. She has been booked into Santa Rita jail on charges of attempted murder and probation violation.
The woman was arrested this morning on suspicion of intentionally pushing a man onto the tracks at the Downtown Berkeley BART station on Monday night.
The assault happened as a train was entering the station at 9:18 p.m, BART police said, but the victim was able to narrowly avoid being hit due to his “quick actions.”
The distance from the platform to the trackway is about 5 feet, according to BART spokesman Jim Allison, and the man was able to jump from the tracks to the wall ledge without assistance. A train operator helped him onto a train, and Berkeley firefighters determined he only had a minor ankle injury. BART police took him home after he declined further medical treatment.
Berkeley police saw her sleeping on a bench near Downtown Berkeley BART this morning, and notified BART police about a suspect who matched their description. BART police then took her into custody at 8:35 a.m.
BART police said Okoropudu was lying on a bench on the train platform Monday night when the victim walked down the stairs to the platform. She “suddenly leapt to her feet and pushed the victim with both hands” as a Richmond-bound train arrived at the platform, police said, and the victim was able to squeeze between the train and the platform to avoid being struck.
