Homeless Woman Arrested in Alleged Random Attack at Pasadena Bus Stop for 2nd Time

Police arrested a woman who allegedly struck another woman with a metal tent pole in a seemingly random and unprovoked attack on Friday afternoon, authorities said. The same suspect was previously convicted of stabbing a man with a pair of scissors in another random attack at a nearby Pasadena bus stop three years ago.

The incident unfolded about 6:20 p.m. as a 25-year-old Pasadena woman was waiting at a bus stop at Lake Avenue and Maple Street, according to Pasadena police Lt. Anthony Burgess.

A 63-year-old woman described as transient approached the victim and confronted her for “no apparent reason,” he said.

The suspect struck the victim with a metal tent pole, resulting in a minor injury to her hand, the lieutenant said. “It appears the attack was unprovoked.”

Officers responded and took Brenda Marie Anderson, 63, into custody, according to police and Los Angeles County booking records. She was booked on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon.

The victim declined to be taken to a hospital, Burgess said.

At the time of her arrest on Friday, Anderson was already awaiting trial on a charge of illegal use of a tear gas weapon stemming from an arrest in July in Pasadena, according to L.A. County Superior Court records.

Prior convictions include assault by means likely to produce great bodily injury in 2020 and criminal threats in 2011, 2005 and 1994, among others, records show.

Last year’s assault conviction stemmed from an incident in which she stabbed a 25-year-old man with a pair of scissors in an unprovoked attack at a bus stop at Lake Avenue near the 210 Freeway on June 10, 2018, according to police and court records.

Anderson approached the victim and spoke to him unintelligible before hurling D-cell batteries at his head and ultimately stabbing him in the arm with a pair of scissors as he attempted to flee the attack by boarding a bus, police Lt. Max Dahlstein said at the time. The stab wound was described as superficial.

Upon pleading “no contest” to a charge of assault by means likely to produce great bodily injury last year, a second charge of assault with a deadly weapon was dismissed. It was not clear Saturday how much time Anderson served in custody for the scissor attack.

Bail for Anderson was set at $30,000 pending her initial court appearance, which was yet to be scheduled Saturday.

Related:

Police: Homeless Woman Stabs Man With Scissors in Random Attack at Pasadena Bus Stop