16-Year-Old Fatally Stabbed By SacRT Employee Is Identified

A 16-year-old who was fatally stabbed by a Sacramento Regional Transit employee at a bus station in Rancho Cordova last Thursday has been identified. Michael Ray Berry, of Fair Oaks, died in the stabbing, the Sacramento County coroner said. SacRT has said the stabbing was in self-defense.(Previous coverage in the video above.)According to the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office, the stabbing happened in the 10100 block of Mills Station Road near Folsom Boulevard and Mather Field Road.Officials said the 16-year-old, now identified as Berry, was vaping on a light rail train with a girl. The RT employee, who is a security guard, told both of them to stop, leading to the pair getting off the train.It is unclear if they got off the train on their own or were escorted off at a stop.The sheriff’s department said a physical fight started between Berry and the security guard near a bus stop, where the security guard stabbed Berry. Berry was taken to an area hospital, where he later died from his injuries, the sheriff’s office said. The security guard was detained.In a statement shared with KCRA 3, SacRT claimed the stabbing was in self-defense.”Initial reports indicate that a male and female teen were asked to leave a train they were riding related to a violation. The subjects and the employee exited the train and it appears an altercation occurred. The ongoing investigation indicates that the employee was attacked by the two teens, which led to a stabbing in self-defense,” SacRT said in a statement. “The safety of our riders and employees remains our highest priority. We will continue to support law enforcement and take any further necessary actions to assist officials as more information becomes available.”When asked if SacRT employees are issued weapons, a spokesperson for the agency said that “although we don’t know the specifics of what transpired, they are not authorized to carry knives.” Their responses also stated that transit ambassadors are non-sworn and trained in de-escalation and customer service. On Friday, the sheriff’s office said no arrests have been made. Once its investigation is complete, it will send its findings to the Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office for review. From there, the DA will decide if any charges will be filed. See news happening? Send us your photos or videos if it’s safe to do so at kcra.com/upload.If this story happened near you or someone you know, share this article with friends in your area using the KCRA mobile app so they know what is happening near them. The KCRA app is available for free in Apple’s App Store and on Google Play.See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel