Man Charged with Attempted Murders  and Union Station Crime Spree

A transient has been charged with attacking Metro security guards and stealing from Los Angeles police vehicles during a crime spree at Union Station last week, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office announced today.

Max Verdi (dob 9/15/87) faces four felony counts each of attempted murder and second-degree burglary of vehicle as well as one count of vandalism over $400 damage.

Verdi also faces a special allegation of causing great bodily injury.

Arraignment is scheduled for today in Department 30 of the Foltz Criminal Justice Center. Case BA474608 was filed on Jan. 25.

Verdi is charged with burglarizing several vehicles at Union Station, including two LAPD patrol cars whose front windows were smashed on Jan. 23. When a man tried to stop Verdi from burglarizing a vehicle, the defendant allegedly swung at him with an ice ax he had stolen earlier from another vehicle, prosecutors said.

When security guards attempted to detain him, the defendant reportedly ran into their vehicle and attempted to run them over before crashing into a pillar. Verdi then allegedly escaped on foot and struck a security guard in the head with the ice ax, prosecutors added.

If convicted as charged, the defendant faces a possible maximum sentence of more than 16 years to life in state prison. Bail is set at $4.18 million.

The case remains under investigation by the Los Angeles Police Department, Central Station.