A 35-year-old father, Robert Paul Byrd II, was stabbed to death in front of his 8-year-old son, shortly after picking him up from school. The suspect has been arrested and charged.
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As reported by Law & Crime, citing a press conference, the incident occurred on Wednesday, September 10. At around 4:38 p.m., shortly after picking up his son at Commodore Sloat Elementary School in San Francisco, Byrd was allegedly stabbed during an argument with another man.
As per the San Francisco Chronicle, responding officers found Byrd with multiple stab wounds on the crosswalk. He was subsequently rushed to a local hospital. There, unfortunately, he passed away.
The 8-year-old boy witnessed how a man allegedly killed his father while on a crosswalk, and later fled the scene. Tragically, according to a GoFundMe, the boy was holding Byrd’s hand when the attack occurred.
Suspect Arrested, Identified
By using surveillance cameras, drones, and automated license plate readers, the San Francisco Police Department (SFPD) managed to locate and arrest the alleged stabber, SFPD Interim Chief Paul Yep said, as per ABC7.
“Many of our officers haven’t slept in a couple days. They worked around the clock,” Thomas Macguire, the SFPD’s Investigations Unit Commander, said. “With community cooperation and with utilizations of technology and a major deployment of our police personnel, we were able to follow leads that led us to Tuolumne County, and we made a safe arrest this morning.”
According to the San Francisco Chronicle, the suspect was identified as 42-year-old Daniel Patrick Rodriguez. He was charged with murder and child endangerment. Prosecutors, as per the outlet, are seeking for Rodriguez to remain held without bail.
A GoFundMe was set up by the school’s Parent Club Organization to support the family of Robert Paul Byrd II. More than $73K has been raised out of the $80,000 goal.
“Robert was a devoted father, a loving son, and a joyful presence to everyone who knew him,” the fundraiser read. “Family and friends remember him as someone who brought laughter and warmth wherever he went, a person who took life seriously but always found ways to share joy.”
“His greatest love was his son, who was holding his hand in the moments before this tragedy occurred.”