San Francisco Woman Slashed on BART Train, Suspect Arrested Next Day

A woman riding an Antioch-bound BART train through San Francisco's Mission District was slashed across her neck, face and mouth in an unprovoked knife attack, leaving her hospitalized with life-threatening injuries and prompting prosecutors to charge her alleged attacker with attempted murder.

According to court documents cited by the San Francisco District Attorney's Office, Jovany Portades, 34, boarded the train at Balboa Station at 8:00 a.m. on November 2, 2024. As the train approached 24th Street/Mission Station, Portades allegedly came up behind the woman and began cutting and slashing her with a knife while she fought back. The moment the train's doors opened at 24th Street/Mission, Portades allegedly fled the platform.

The victim managed to get off the train and reach BART and San Francisco Police officers who were on scene. EMS transported her to a local hospital with life-threatening injuries.

Portades was arrested the following morning, November 3, after a BART station agent spotted him at Fruitvale Station in Oakland. He was charged with one count of attempted murder, with enhancements alleging personal use of a deadly weapon and intentional infliction of great bodily injury. Prosecutors also alleged he is ineligible for probation. He is being held without bail, with prosecutors moving for pretrial detention on the grounds of public safety risk.

"Public transit systems must be safe for all passengers," District Attorney Brooke Jenkins said. "The brutal unprovoked attack of a woman on a BART train in San Francisco was tragic and truly shocking. This incident sent chills across the Bay Area as we live in a deeply interconnected region where what happens in one jurisdiction echoes across city and county lines."

Portades was arraigned November 12, 2024, at 1:30 p.m. in Department 16 of the Hall of Justice in San Francisco.

Anyone with information about the attack can call the BART Police Department tip line at (510) 464-7000 or text BART Police at (510) 200-0992. Callers may remain anonymous.