Fourth Homeless Man Attacked in San Diego; 2 Dead, 2 Injured

San Diego, CA — An attack on a homeless man early Wednesday near Horton Plaza in downtown San Diego was the fourth in a series that have left two dead and two seriously injured.

Shortly after 5 a.m. Wednesday in the vicinity of State Street and Broadway, witnesses saw someone crouched over what they initially thought was a flaming pile of clothing, but it turned out to be a person, San Diego police Capt. David Nisleit told reporters.

One of the bystanders hurried over and pulled a burning towel off the victim, Nisleit told news crews. The assaulted man was hospitalized with critical injuries.

Investigators believe that whoever carried out the downtown assault also is responsible for three similar attacks this week.

"This is a priority for the San Diego Police Department and a priority for this city," Nisleit said. "We need to find this person, this subject is responsible now for four attacks."

The three other attacks happened within a 24-hour period over the Fourth of July holiday weekend in Bay Park, Ocean Beach and the Midway district.

The body of one victim Angelo De Nardo, 53, was discovered when city police and firefighters were dispatched around 8 a.m. Sunday to a fire in the area of 2700 Morena Boulevard, near Interstate 5 and Mission Bay Drive. Upon putting out the flames, emergency personnel found his body. An autopsy determined De Nardo, who has family in Pennsylvania, suffered traumatic injuries to his upper torso and was killed prior to the fire being set, San Diego police Lt. Manny Del Toro said.

Witnesses of the fire described what a man seen running from the scene was wearing, and told police they also saw a man carrying a gas can near the area, Del Toro said.

Police were alerted to the second holiday weekend incident just before 5 a.m. Monday — the Fourth of July — when a man was found bleeding from injuries to his upper torso in the 3700 block of Greenwood Street, according to Lt. Ray Valentin. The man was transported to a nearby hospital for treatment of life-threatening injuries.

The third holiday weekend incident was discovered about 90 minutes later, at about 6:10 a.m. Monday, in the 2500 block of Bacon Street, near Robb Field in Ocean Beach.

"A San Diego police officer was flagged down ... regarding a person down and bleeding from his upper torso. When officers arrived on scene, they located a deceased adult male with trauma to his upper torso," Valentin said.

The identity of the deceased man had not been released as of Wednesday morning.

Surveillance cameras at a convenience store near where the first victim was found captured grainy images of a man who has since been named a person of interest in the case.

Police asked members of the public to review surveillance images and video of the suspect, and to call police if they have information about his whereabouts or anything else pertaining to the case.

The San Diego Police Department’s Homicide Unit can be reached at 619-531-2346. Tipsters can remain anonymous by calling San Diego County Crime Stoppers at 888-580-8477.

"These attacks have occurred in the early-morning hours and investigators urge the public to report
any suspicious behavior they see," authorities said in a Crime Stoppers statement. "Investigators are also asking that the public spread the word to the homeless population to remain vigilant, avoid sleeping alone, and to stay in open, well-lit areas."

— City News Service contributed to this report.

(Patch file photo/Maggie Avants)