A former tram driver at Mt. San Antonio College was charged Monday with the murder of another tram driver on campus, authorities said.
The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office also charged 38-year-old James Edward Milliken Jr. of Diamond Bar in connection with the allegation that he used two weapons, a car and a knife, to commit the crime on Thursday, Dec. 1.
Milliken struck 63-year-old Rafael Barragan Jr. of Pomona with a car outside Building 9A, Sheriff’s detectives said. Barragan died there. Milliken remained at the scene and was detained.
Milliken was scheduled for a Monday arraignment at Pomona Superior Court, but it was continued until Tuesday, according to a court official.
The victim and the suspect worked as tram drivers for disabled students at the college located at 1100 N. Grand Ave. in Walnut. Milliken was a part-time driver from Oct. 13, 2016 to Sept. 23, 2021. College officials said he resigned.
In an Oct. 5, 2021 Facebook post, Milliken claimed his co-workers treated him unfairly, made racist comments, spread rumors about him and commented on his hair. He named Barragan and alleged Barragan threatened him on multiple occasions and convinced others to harass him.
However, detectives have not revealed a motive for the killing.
Mt. SAC president William Scroggins described Barragan as gracious, popular and respected.
“On Thursday morning, Dec. 1, we woke up, we came to work at Mt. SAC and for many of us, our lives were permanently changed. None of us were prepared for what we faced that day,” Audrey Yamagata-Noji, vice president of Student Services, said in a statement Monday. “Ralph was our friend, our buddy, our ray of sunshine.”
Barragan came to work with a smile on his face every day and brought joy and positivity to everyone he interacted, she said.
“Ralph did so much more than transport ACCESS students – he was their friend, their mentor, their encourager. To colleagues, he was always around to be supportive, to smile, to wave, to stop to show you pictures of his family, to remember something about you, to take an interest in you and your life,” Yamagata-Noji said.
A campus memorial was set up for Barragan at the west end of the Student Services Center at Mt. SAC. It is the area of the campus where Barragan would park and board his passengers on the tram, she said.
The college will also host a memorial service to honor Barragan’s legacy at 3 p.m. Friday, Dec. 9, on the first floor of the Student Services Center.
–Staff writer Nathaniel Percy contributed to this report.
Editor’s note: The publication time of this article has been corrected.
