(L.A.) Rafael Barragan Jr., 63, Killed By Vehicle in Homicide

Case Number: 2022-12466

Los Angeles County is reporting the death of a 63-year-old male of Latin American ethnicity that occurred at a school/college.

The coroner’s office has identified the man as Rafael Barragan Jr.

Manner of death: Homicide

Cause of Death: Multiple Injuries (Sharp And Blunt Force)

RIP RAFAEL BARRAGAN JR. (August 9, 1959 – December 1, 2022)

Formal pronouncement of death was made on Thursday at 7:49 a.m.

The decedent was fatally hit by a vehicle in a parking lot of the Mt. San Antonio College campus in Walnut in eastern Los Angeles County. He was a tram driver for disabled students. Incident address is given as the 1100 block of North Grand Avenue.

Barragan began working as a tram driver for ACCESS, a disabled students program, in July 2007. He joined Mt. SAC after a 23-year career as a bus driver for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority.

The driver of the vehicle that struck him was taken to a hospital. Sheriff’s officials said the driver appeared to have intentionally hit Barragan, who was known on campus as Ralph. What the motive for the killing was has not been determined.

The suspect in the fatal collision was identified by authorities Friday as 38-year-old James Milliken, who was employed by the school part-time, starting in October 2016. His last date of employment was September 2021. He also was a student, having enrolled in Summer 2010 and last attended in Spring 2018.