San Francisco prosecutors have charged the man suspected of fatally stabbing a father picking up his child from school last week, the District Attorney’s Office said.
Daniel Patrick Rodriguez Jr., 42, is charged with one count of murder and one count of child endangerment, prosecutors said.
Following a nearly 48-hour manhunt, San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie announced that an arrest was made Friday in connection with the stabbing that took the life of Robert Paul Byrd II, 35.
On Wednesday just before 5 p.m., officers responded to the area of Junipero Serra Boulevard and Ocean Avenue in San Francisco’s Balboa Terrace neighborhood and discovered Byrd suffering from stab wounds. Byrd had been crossing the street with his 8-year-old son after picking him up from Commodore Sloat Elementary School.
The San Francisco District Attorney’s Office on Monday provided more details about the case.
“Multiple witnesses saw Mr. Rodriguez and the victim allegedly pushing and punching each other. Multiple bystanders stopped to break up the altercation,” said prosecutors. “While attempting to break up the fight, Mr. Rodriguez allegedly walked around the witness and stabbed the victim once in the neck. After allegedly stabbing the victim in the neck area, Mr. Rodriguez walked away calmly.”
“The homicide was horrific,” said Interim Police Chief Paul Yep at a briefing Friday at San Francisco Police Department headquarters. “A father who was walking across the street with his son was fatally stabbed in the crosswalk after getting into an altercation with the suspect.”
Investigators tracked down Rodriguez all the way in Tuolumne County. Shortly before 9 a.m. Friday, police apprehended him and transported him to the San Francisco jail.
About 60 officers were deployed to investigate the case, Yep said. They used automated license plate readers, surveillance cameras, a drone, and leads from witnesses to identify Rodriguez as the suspect and his whereabouts.
‘Not a random act of violence’
Officers did not describe what led up to the stabbing or provide a potential motive. They did not specify whether the victim and the suspect had a previous relationship.
“We’re not going to share certain details at this time,” said San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins on Friday. “This is still a very fresh investigation.”
Jenkins also clarified that the killing was not a random attack.
“What I do want to reassure the public, though, is that this was not a random act of violence by somebody just walking up,” she said.
Rodriguez is next due in court for arraignment on Tuesday at 1:30 p.m. in Department 19 at the Hall of Justice in San Francisco.