Train crash driver wanted an 'horrific tragedy'

A man accused of killing 11 people by parking his truck in a Los Angeles commuter train’s path intended to get his estranged wife’s attention by causing “a horrific tragedy,” not to kill himself as originally thought, police said.

They also said Juan Manuel Alvarez told them he had poured petrol on his Jeep before the train hit it last month.

Police initially believed Alvarez had meant to remain in the truck but then lost his nerve and fled. He and his wife had separated and she had obtained a restraining order against him.

Police Chief Randy Adams said Alvarez may have considered suicide, but “the investigation has revealed that his actions are not consistent with that of an individual who is attempting to follow through with that act.”

“His actions were deliberate with the intent of causing a horrific tragedy,” Adams said.

Alvarez, 25, has pleaded not guilty to 11 counts of murder and an arson charge. Prosecutors have not decided whether to seek the death penalty.

Police said they asked him what he thought would happen if a vehicle were left in the path of an oncoming train.

“He basically stated that he thought there would be an explosion,” said Lieutenant Jon Perkins, the case’s lead detective.