Shocking moment fight breaks out between three homeless men leaving one dead and one critical in San Diego area plagued by encampments
Shocking video shows a San Diego man being stabbed to death by two people during a fight between three homeless people in an area plagued by encampments.
According to recent figuresSan Diego County has more than 10,000 people who are either completely unhoused or in temporary housing, with the city proposing a $1,500 grant to prevent another thousand people from losing theirs.
In the clip, captured by a Ring camera near a strip mall in National City on Friday morning, a man in a black hooded sweatshirt is seen taking his cart to a dumpster in a parking lot.
A man wearing a black hat on a bicycle rides in and approaches the man before clearly attacking him. A fight ensues between the two. Another man in a baseball cap watches the action.
The attacker’s body then slams the homeless man to the ground before a third man joins the fray, with the man in the black hat pulling away from the homeless man to fight the third man.
Shocking video shows a San Diego man being stabbed to death by two people during a fight between three homeless people in an area plagued by encampments
The man in the black hat apparently pulled a knife and stabbed the other two men.
At least one person – still unidentified – was found dead by police in the aftermath of the brawl, when authorities found him with “several flat tires.”
“An emergency operation was carried out and the victim is now critical but stable,” local police said in a statement on Friday evening.
The second victim was taken to a local hospital, underwent surgery and remains in critical but stable condition.
Two local elementary schools in the area spent an hour in a “secure campus mode” from approximately 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. before resuming normal activities.
A man considered a “person of interest” in the investigation was taken into custody around 2:30 p.m.
Police finally charged 29-year-old Christian Mejia with murder on Friday evening. He remains in police custody.
It comes as San Diego County remains home to numerous homeless encampments and more than 10,000 unhoused people.
In the clip, captured by a Ring camera near a strip mall in National City on Friday morning, a man in a black hooded sweatshirt is seen taking his cart to a dumpster in a parking lot.
A man wearing a black hat on a bicycle rides in and approaches the man before clearly attacking him. A fight ensues between the two. Another man in a baseball cap watches the action
The attacker’s body then slams the homeless man to the ground before a third man joins the fray, with the man in the black hat pulling away from the homeless man to fight the third man.
A San Diego leader is proposing to pay residents on the brink of losing their homes $1,500 each to help nearly 1,000 people avoid homelessness
San Diego is no stranger to the problems arising from its homeless population.
Earlier this year, the city opened the first of two “safe sleeping areas,” just weeks after the San Diego City Council voted to ban homeless encampments.
Democrat Mayor Todd Gloria announced the plan to open the areas in June as a way to combat the city’s homelessness crisis, which has been worsened by opioids.
City leaders have spoken out in the past about the need for locations like the one that opened in June in an effort to get people off the streets.
“We are delivering a comprehensive shelter strategy with detailed proposals for the short, medium and long term, including expanded shelter, safer parking and safe sleeping provision,” Mayor Gloria said.
In June, DailyMail.com reported on a homeless San Diego woman who said homeless people in the city are being “spoiled” with free phones, food and clothes.
Marine Corps veteran Kate Monroe shared a video of herself talking to several homeless people in an area known as the Bottoms. One of them, Mary, described the situation as ‘not that difficult’.
“I think we’re spoiled to be honest with you,” the woman added as she talked to Monroe. “My sister says, ‘Where do I sign up?’
San Diego opened its first of two “safe sleeping areas” in the border city in July
In June, the San Diego City Council voted to ban homeless encampments citywide
San Diego has about 10,000 homeless and unhoused individuals countywide
“Usually we have low incomes and when you have low incomes you get free phones, free food, free clothes. There are so many resources that are just give and give and give,” the homeless woman said.
However, others who spoke to Monroe disagreed with Mary’s description and said they witnessed sexual assaults, robberies and brutal beatings.
“It’s not easy being here,” said one man who spoke to the Navy vet.
A San Diego leader is proposing to pay residents on the brink of losing their homes $1,500 each to help nearly 1,000 people avoid homelessness.
At a news conference, San Diego County Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer said the plan, known as the Homeless Diversion Initiative, will keep 800 people off the streets.
“We can help six times more people with diversionary interventions than with the traditional approaches we’ve taken,” Lawson-Remer said.
Lawsom-Remer and others said the diversion initiative has proven to be a smart and successful way to keep residents housed in the past.
Data from the San Diego Regional Task Force on Homelessness shows that similar programs have kept 2,000 people in the area from becoming homeless.