VANCOUVER -- A man has been arrested following reports of threats and racial slurs being uttered during a violent robbery on a SkyTrain.
In a news release Thursday, Metro Vancouver Transit Police said they'd charged a 31-year-old man in connection with an incident reported two days before.
Police were initially called in Tuesday night, after a SkyTrain attendant at 22nd Street Station approached a man and asked him to leave. It was reported that there was vomit on the man's clothes and on the floor of the train.
"The man took exception to this request and began threatening the attendant and hurling racially charged expletives at him," transit police allege.
It was reported that the man then got into another SkyTrain car and "turned his racially charged tirade toward a passenger."
Police say he demanded the passenger hand over all of his money. When the passenger responded that he didn't have any, police say, the suspect moved to within a few inches of the passenger.
It is alleged the person said "something to the effect of 'give me your headphones … don't make me stab you with this screwdriver.'"
Police said no screwdriver was seen at the time.
The train pulled into Royal Oak Station in Burnaby, and the victim tried to take a photo of the suspect as he walked away, police say.
"This enraged the suspect who forced open the doors of the elevator where the passenger had taken refuge. The suspect then allegedly violently punched the victim upward of 30 times before stealing his headphones and leaving the station," transit police say.
It is alleged the same man then returned to the station a short time later, and was arrested with help from the Burnaby RCMP.
Clinton Sebastiano, a 31-year-old with no fixed address, has been charged with one count of robbery and uttering threats.
The allegations have not been proven in court.
