Man badly beaten in LRT attack
29-year-old critically injured during assault inside train car
Friends and family are praying for an Edmonton man who was clinging to life Sunday night after a life-threatening assault on a city LRT train on Friday afternoon.
Police were called to the Clareview LRT station at 1:50 p.m. Friday after receiving several reports of a disturbance. A 29-year-old was found unconscious and taken to hospital in critical condition, where he remains.
A suspect fled on foot and was caught nearby. Police say a 29-year-old man was taken into custody and faces several charges.
Family and friends confirmed that John (Jonny) Hollar was the man critically injured in the Dec. 28 assault.
Hollar’s uncle, Russell, said Hollar continued to breathe on his own after he was removed from life support on Saturday.
He remains in a “deep coma,” Bussell said.
“Everybody is still pretty emotional, especially his parents. The doctors were saying he wouldn’t breathe and he is breathing. He’s been breathing on his own for about 20 hours.”
Russell said Hollar was “really badly beaten,” and had clearly sustained head injuries in the assault. He described his nephew as a smaller man, weighing only about 150 pounds.
He said doctors have warned the family Hollar may not continue breathing on his own for more than a couple of days.
Police will be releasing more information about the incident on Monday.
Ron Gabruck, director in charge of safety and security for the Edmonton Transit System, said he was told there had been a serious assault on Friday afternoon but couldn’t comment on the case until Monday.
Serious attacks on the city’s transit system “are extremely rare,” Gabruck said, adding that there were only five such cases in 2011. And even though ETS has a sophisticated emergency response system with peace officers, help phones, and 3,700 cameras on buses, stations, and LRT facilities, “minor nuisances” comprise 93 per cent of all complaints.
“It’s certainly shocking,” Gabruck said. “But don’t judge ETS on a rare and isolated event.”
Russell said the family doesn’t know exactly what happened on the LRT train on Friday afternoon.
“What we know is that a person is in custody. And apparently they have footage,” he said.
Russell said his nephew may have been headed to see his girlfriend or his mother at the time of the assault, as both of the women live in the Clareview area. Hollar was born and raised in Edmonton and has lots of friends and family in the city, his uncle said. He said Hollar had been working at a meat-packaging plant recently.
“He’s just a strong family person,” Russell said. “He cares for his family.”
Friend Ivey Smarch said she’s known Hollar for about five years, and considers him to be like a brother.
“He’s caring. He’s always looking out for everybody before himself,” she said. “He’s had his struggles in life, but he just doesn’t stop.”
She said Hollar “likes to laugh and have a good time, and doesn’t let other people’s opinions affect him.”
“He’s his own confident person,” she said.
Smarch said some of Hollar’s friends are angry about what happened, and all are extremely upset.
“It’s so recently after Christmas, too, that it’s really hurting,” she said.
On Hollar’s Facebook page, friends posted prayers and words of encouragement, urging Hollar to “keep strong” and “keep breathin.”
“I believe in you ... you’ll get thru this & everything will be OK again,” one person wrote. “I love you.”
Russell said the family, too, is praying for the best.
“Miracles can happen as long you keep praying,” he said.