San Francisco police announce recent arrests in 3 separate homicides
SAN FRANCISCO -- San Francisco police on Saturday announced they solved three recent unrelated homicides and arrested four suspects.
"Oftentimes, the news of the murder goes out, the news of the shooting goes out. And when there's an arrest made, there's little fanfare about that. This is a big deal to arrest four individuals who took three lives. It's a big deal," said SFPD Chief Bill Scott at a Saturday afternoon press conference.
Many of the officers and investigators involved in the arrests were in the room.
The arrests all happened within the space of 24 hours. Police don't believe the three homicides are connected. The only common thread they said was the suspects all used a knife in the murders.
"[Most of] our homicides are normally firearm related homicides. So this is a trend that we hope we don't see more of," said Chief Scott.
The latest stabbing death happened Friday evening just after 6:30 p.m. near South Van Ness Avenue and 15th Street in the Mission District.
"This is where he collapsed and this is where he was bleeding into the gutter," said neighbor Chris Christensen, as he pointed to where the victim was found bleeding on the ground.
He tried to help the young man and stayed with him until paramedics arrived.
"I said 'What's your name? What's your name?' And he couldn't explain to me. He couldn't speak. He was nonverbal," said Christensen.
Witnesses pointed responding officers to two suspects still in the area. Christensen said one of the suspects arrested was a homeless man who'd camped out nearby for the last four years.
"I think he stabbed, we know one person for sure. They let him go because they couldn't prove it. 'Cause I think he's struggling with mental illness. And I think the person stabbed also has mental illness. And so they couldn't put it all together," said Christensen. "I think it was [earlier] this year."
The responding officers said they're thankful for the neighbors' assistance in solving Friday evening's homicide.
"We're part of the community. And we can't do it without the community. Going to a scene like that, everyone kind of came together and helped us identify the suspects who were still on scene," said Officer Bryan Santana.
In a separate homicide, investigators said a person turned himself in Saturday morning for the stabbing dead of a 21-year-old man in the Tenderloin on June 1st.
And on Friday, police arrested another suspect for the killing of a 45-year-old man. That fatal incident happened on April 7th near 24th Street and Potrero Avenue.
Police declined to release the motives and the names of the victims and suspects, saying all three homicides are active investigations. So far this year, San Francisco police said there have been 20 homicides in the city.
