Police Say Man Randomly Attacked, Stabbed Woman 16 Times At TRAX Station

SALT LAKE CITY — Authorities said a woman was fighting for her life while they worked to understand what led a man to stab her nearly 16 times at a TRAX station in Salt Lake.

Police said it appears the suspect boarded a train at the Ballpark Station Friday afternoon, then got off at the 900 South station, when he spotted the victim walking towards the platform with grocery bags.

“It’s scary and it makes me said,” said neighbor Melanie Krein.

Krein said she was shocked to hear about the stabbing.

“We passed by here just after it happened,” she said.

The attack happened on the 200 West TRAX platform near 900 South around 4:39 p.m. Friday.

“It’s just a really tragic, sad and unfortunate event,” said Carl Arky, UTA spokesperson.

Authorities suspected it was a random attack.

“It’s a random act of violence from what we can tell,” said Arky. “The two people involved apparently did not know each other.”

UTA officials were able to track Michael Nimmo, 50, using surveillance footage and a tipster who spotted him boarding the train less than 10 minutes before the attack.

“(The tipster reported) an individual with a knife at the Ballpark Station, which is the next stop south,” said Arky. “The belief is this individual got on the train at the Ballpark Station and then took it north, got off at this station, and then almost within moments, this incident took place.”

Nimmo ambushed the victim as she was purchasing a ticket.

Jail documents described the attack:

“The victim is seen dropping the grocery bags she had with her. And this is when the suspect is seen repeatedly stabbing the victim, while still holding his left arm around her neck area. The victim quickly falls to the ground on her back and is seen putting up her left hand to block the attacks. On camera the suspect is seen standing over the victim as she is fighting him. The suspect is seen with the knife in his right hand, gripping his whole hand around the handle, and is seen going in an up and down motion at least sixteen times towards the victim’s front, upper body and anywhere he could attack. The suspect is also seen kneeling down and stabbing the victim as they are both on the ground. The victim goes from her back to on her left side in the fetal position. At one point the victim is seen grabbing the suspect’s right hand (with the knife in it) and holding on to it. The suspect is seen dragging the victim as she continues to hold on to his hand and then they go out of camera view.”

The victim was stabbed at least 16 times before witnesses and a train approached.

She was later transported to the University of Utah hospital in “extremely critical condition.”

“Maybe that’s what scared the suspect off,” said Arky. “The operator of the TRAX train that pulled into the station just as this was happening, he alerted our dispatch, our dispatch went immediately to the video footage.”

A short time later, police located Nimmo near 900 South and Jefferson Street and arrested him.

“He has not given them a lot of information. He has not responded to questions, but they know he is from out of state,” said Arky. “I’m not sure when he arrived in the state.”

However, it appears Nimmo has a record in Utah. He was charged with criminal trespassing in 2005, but the case was dismissed in 2008.

Krein said she thinks she has seen him before.

“I’m almost positive I saw that gentleman two days ago,” said Krein. “We passed by him. I made eye contact with him and said, ‘Hi.'”

For now, their prayers are with the victim.

“I hope she’ll be OK,” said Krein.

The victim’s name has not been released, but she was described as being possibly in her 50s.

Nimmo was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder, aggravated assault and aggravated kidnapping. He was being held without bail.