Killer who slashed woman’s throat in unprovoked attack on LA train is put away for life
Elliot Tramel Nowden, 47, received a life sentence on Friday for the violent, unprovoked killing of Mirna Soza Arauz, 67, aboard a Los Angeles Metro B‑Line train in April 2024. The attacker slit Arauz’s throat as the carriage pulled into Station B, leaving her to bleed out on the platform. She was rushed to the hospital where the Los Angeles Police Department confirmed she had died.
Nowden was taken into custody less than half an hour after the attack at the Universal City Station in Studio City. He had earlier faced charges for theft and several counts of second‑degree battery. On November 17 he was found guilty of first‑degree murder and robbery. Judge Karla D. Kerlin added an eight‑year term for the robbery penalty, in addition to the life sentence with no possibility of parole.
Mirna Soza Arauz had at least three children. Her son, Jose Roman Soza, described her as his best friend. The victim’s youngest daughter, Nadia Cisne Soza, told a GoFundMe post that “As long as my mother is happy in heaven, the murderer is going to be miserable on earth.” A Spanish interpreter relayed Jose’s account to the judge, where he explained that the realization of something wrong came from the absence of his mother’s usual comforting breakfast and the feeling of unease in his chest.
The incident, which left Arauz with her throat raw and the train stalled, has sparked community reflection on safety and grief. The Los Angeles Police Department continues to investigate the case.
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