Man Stabbed On Metro Train After Confronting Phone Thief

(Updated at 4:55 p.m.) A man was stabbed in the hand on board an Orange Line train after he approached a man he saw steal a phone in the L’Enfant Plaza station.

Police received a report about 3:30 p.m. of a man bleeding aboard a train at the Federal Center SW station, Metro spokeswoman Morgan Dye said. Officers found the stabbing victim and arrested a 19-year-old man.

In an update, Dye said the suspect snatched a cell phone from a commuter at L’Enfant Plaza. The suspect boarded a New Carrollton-bound Orange Line train and was confronted by a passenger who saw what happened. The suspect then stabbed the good Samaritan in the hand. The object he used was not immediately known.

Blue, Orange and Silver line trains were held at the station for about 20 minutes, delaying subsequent trains. Commuters should expect delays of as long as 30 minutes, Dye said.

The victim was conscious and breathing, D.C. police said. He was transported to a hospital, Dye said.