On September 8 at 10:31 pm, Dispatch received a call from an Amtrak conductor. Their train had just entered Fairfield, and a man, later identified as 23-year- old Brandon Torres-Mendoza of Sacramento, was believed to have stabbed one person on board, and was possibly holding another person hostage.
The conductor requested assistance and advised the train would stop at the Fairfield-Vacaville Amtrak station.
Officers converged on the station and quickly formed a plan. They boarded the train as soon as it arrived, and ensured all passengers exited the train safely.
While searching for the suspect, they first found one victim, a 21-year-old man, with two stab wounds to the chest. That person was taken to a local hospital, where they remain in critical condition.
Police then encountered a man holding a knife, but quickly realized this was actually a second victim, age 24, who had taken the weapon from Torres-Mendoza and was bravely holding him at bay until officers arrived.
Torres-Mendoza was taken into custody and subsequently booked at Solano County Jail for various charges including attempted murder, false imprisonment, and violation of post release community supervision (PRCS). Learn more about PRCS at https://www.cdcr.ca.gov/law-enforcement-resources/home/prcs/.
Fairfield Police detectives are actively investigating this incident, with assistance from Amtrak police.
At this time, it’s confirmed that neither victim was known to Torres-Mendoza, and motive for the incident remains unclear. No other details are currently available.
