An elderly mother was found stabbed to death in her San Francisco apartment building after being killed by her neighbor.
Mei Ran Hu, 64, was pronounced dead at the scene after being found with serious stab wounds on May 5, leading to the arrest of her neighbor Jesus Esparza, 41, hours later.
The incident occurred when Hu stepped outside to collect her mail, and the two neighbors had never spoken to each other before KGO-TV reporter Dion Lim.
Neighbors have described the suspect as having serious mental health issues, and Hu’s niece denounced the senseless murder, saying, “I want her death to be a reminder that we have serious problems in our San Francisco society.”
It comes as San Francisco is gripped by a rampant crime wave fueled by untamed homelessness and soft-on-crime government, punctuated by the recent murder of CashApp founder Bob Lee last month.
Mei Ran Hu, 64, was stabbed to death in her San Francisco apartment building on May 5
San Francisco police said they identified Esparza as a suspect and quickly detained him in the same building Hu had been stabbed to death inside.
Esparza allegedly stabbed Hu three times in the lobby of the building, before attempting to flee and hiding in a nearby stairwell.
The victim’s family said they believed her attempts to hide meant others in the building couldn’t find her, and she was in hiding for about an hour, Lim reported on social media.
Hu was eventually found unconscious at about 11 a.m. and she succumbed to her injuries shortly after first responders arrived on the scene.
Esparza was booked in the San Francisco County Jail on charges of murder, elder abuse and resisting arrest.
A motive for the murder has not yet been released, but staff and neighbors say Esparza had serious mental health problems and was dependent on his mother’s care, police said. Mission Local.
His mother was reportedly not in the building at the time of the stabbing, and a person familiar with the situation said, “If the mother was here, I don’t think this would happen.”
The victim’s son, pictured, said he feared his mother would ‘die for nothing’ if the suspect is released
Hu took care of her elderly mother for nearly 10 years before she passed away months ago
The gruesome stabbing took place on the 400 block of Duboce Avenue
Speaking to KGO-TV, Hu’s son said he was concerned that the suspect in the case would escape justice.
“Probably after that he can be released, and (my) mother will die for nothing,” he said.
Hu’s family reportedly said that Esparza lived in the unit next to Hu’s in Duboce Triangle, San Francisco, but the two never met due to their language barrier.
The 64-year-old had reportedly moved into the apartment to serve as her mother’s caretaker, which she had done for nearly 10 years before her mother passed away several months ago.
Neighbors in the apartment building told them Mission Local that Esparza was arrested by the police in his ‘drawers’ in the corridor on the ground floor.
“I’ve seen him a lot,” said one resident, who described the 41-year-old as a “violent person.”
“I know he has mental health issues. Like, seriously,” they added.
The neighbor also recalled an incident several months ago in which a sharecropper’s dog approached the Esparza with its “tail wagging, happy,” before the suspected killer “violently kicked the dog.”
San Francisco has been plagued by a series of store closures since the pandemic as the city failed to address rising crime and drug problems
San Francisco has seen a worrying increase in murders and robberies in recent months
The murder comes as a crime wave continues to sweep through San Francisco, turning the city into a ghost town as large numbers of residents flee the area.
New data showed that the West Coast city is only 32 percent as full as it was before the pandemic, a problem largely attributed to lawlessness and soft crime policies.
The crime wave was punctuated last month by the murder of technical director Bob Lee, but came as residents endured years of untamed violence, open-air drug markets and rampant homelessness.
In addition to the prevalence of drugs like fentanyl, the city has also witnessed a surge in homicides and robberies, while numerous major retailers, including T-Mobile, have closed their San Francisco locations due to “rampant criminal activity.”