After hearing that a suspect’s DNA was found on a man’s jacket after he was shoved into a moving train at the Old Town Trolley Station, a judge on Dec. 12 ordered him to stand trial for murder.
The victim, Martin Andara, 68, was killed almost instantly after he was pushed into a train at the trolley station at 4009 Taylor St. on Jan. 1 around 6:15 a.m.
Footage from a video surveillance camera showed a man believed to be Ryan Michael Rukstelis, 26, pushing Andara into the train as it was coming to a stop.
Deputy District Attorney Scott Pirrello showed video clips of Rukstelis aboard various trolley trains early that morning and one included him and the victim on the same train. They had no interaction with each other and apparently did not know each other.
Detective Travis Demas told San Diego Superior Court Judge Evan Kirvin that he noticed Rukstelis staring at Andara for a few moments at the trolley station before attacking him and then running off.
Andara died from multiple blunt force trauma stemming from an internal decapitation, severing of the brain stem, and a skull fracture, said Pirrello.
The cause of death, DNA evidence, and information about fingerprints were accepted into evidence as a result of stipulations between the attorneys in order to save time in the preliminary hearing rather than call more witnesses.
The incident occurred around 6:15 a.m. while Andara was on his way to work at a grocery store.
The video surveillance also showed Rukstelis earlier vandalizing a soda machine at another trolley station at 2:56 a.m. by prying off plastic sections. He was apparently unsuccessful in getting any money out of the machine.
However, Detective Steven Choy said officers got the whole panel off the machine and dusted it for fingerprints since Rukstelis touched internal areas of the machine. His fingerprints were found and he was identified as the murder suspect, said Choy.
Rukstelis was identified from a law enforcement database, said Choy, and police were able to contact his mother. Rukstelis was arrested on Jan. 4 near where his mother lived. His clothing matched the pants and shirt worn by the man who shoved Andara into the train, said Choy.
Pirrello asked Kirvin to order the murder trial, saying Rukstelis caused the death of Andara. His attorney, Denis Lainez, submitted the matter to the judge without argument.
Metropolitan Transit Service officer Joseph Pickering testified he directed passengers away from the body and crime scene, noting there were not too many people there on New Year’s morning.
Rukstelis’ family was present for the hearing. He has pleaded not guilty and remains in the George Bailey Detention Facility without bail.
Rukstelis will return to court on Jan. 17 to schedule a trial date.
