Man Accused In Deadly MAX Train Stabbing Is A Wanted Sex Offender From California

Portland, Ore.  —  The man police say stabbed and killed another man March 30th on board a TriMet MAX train, was on the run from law enforcement in California.

An arrest warrant was issued for 51 year old Shondel L. Larkin in December of 2023 in Los Angeles County.  According to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitations website, “This sex offender has failed to participate in electronic monitoring (for example, by removing their tracking device) and is wanted by law enforcement per California Penal Code 290.”

In June of 2022, Larkin, a registered sex offender on parole, was arrested, accused of peeking into a woman’s home in Culver City. The Culver City Police Department received a report of him lurking outside the woman’s window, and upon reviewing surveillance footage, it was discovered he had also been there the day before. Authorities confirmed his presence through his GPS tracker. Larkin was arrested after being observed leering at a woman in another residence the day after the first report. He had a history of similar offenses.

In 2004, Larkin was sentenced to 17 years in California State Prison for attempting to rape a woman in her home.  Court documents from that case say On September 2, 2004, at around 6:00 a.m., Robyn R. observed Larkin walking up her driveway as she was opening the living room window in her downstairs apartment in Studio City. After he disappeared from view, she heard footsteps upstairs. Upon returning to the window, she saw Larkin attempting to remove the screen while crouching outside. Robyn left to call the police, and upon her return, Larkin had left.

Around 2:00 a.m. the next day, Robyn’s neighbor, Lori C., woke up to find Larkin standing in her bedroom doorway with his pants undone and an erection. He threatened her, saying he would kill her, and insisted on his intentions. Despite Lori’s refusal and attempts to move away, Larkin forcibly dislocated her jaw, kneed her, and tried to pull her toward him. Lori managed to scream for help, prompting Larkin to flee. She discovered her kitchen window open, which had a faulty lock accessible from the adjacent walkway. Lori escaped, running naked into the street, where Robyn heard her cries and called the police. Lori sustained injuries including a dislocated jaw, bloody mouth, and bruises on her hip and calf. During the investigation, a broken watch was found on Lori’s bedroom floor.

During that case several other alleged victims of Larkin came forward. In December 2000, a woman spotted Larkin peeking at her from her apartment while she was showering. She screamed, prompting him to leave, and later discovered money missing from her wallet.

In February 2003, a woman heard a noise in her backyard and was alerted by her neighbor, Ronald Quigley, who noticed suspicious activity. Quigley provided Investigator David Ishibashi with the license plate of a BMW parked nearby.

In September 2004, a woman noticed a backyard light tampered with and saw Larkin near her bedroom window, staring at her before fleeing.

In May 2003, a woman heard a noise, saw movement in her backyard, and caught someone peering into her bathroom window. Larkin was arrested after police arrived and observed him fleeing, with his BMW matching the license plate noted earlier. Larkin admitted involvement in other incidents, and he owned the BMW during the relevant period.

Now Larkin is accused of Murder in Portland.  Police say it happened on a MAX train at the 82nd Avenue Transit Station on Friday, March 29th, 2024, around 6:04 p.m. Portland Police Bureau (PPB) officers from the East Precinct responded to the scene where they found an adult male deceased on the platform.

The deceased victim’s identity has not been released yet. Shondel L. Larkin. Larkin has been lodged at the Multnomah County Detention Center on charges of Murder in the Second Degree and Unlawful Use of a Weapon.

Detectives from the Homicide Detail and Criminalists from the Forensic Evidence Division investigating.

The initial findings suggest that the stabbing occurred on an eastbound MAX train. PPB detectives are urging anyone with information regarding this incident to come forward. They can contact Detective Shaye Samora at [email protected] or Detective Michael Schmerber at [email protected] and reference case number 24-77028.