By SDCN Editor
San Diego, CA–A homeless man beaten with a piece of lumber by another homeless man on April 5 has died, San Diego police said.
The victim, identified as 32-year-old Zechariah Turner, was homeless at the time of the assault. A piece of lumber that potentially matches the description of the weapon was recovered nearby on the basketball court.
At approximately 8:55 a.m., patrol officers located 37-year-old Rashi Foster in the area of 2400 Imperial Avenue several blocks from the initial scene. He matched the description of the suspect. Police say Foster is also homeless. He was arrested and booked into jail for attempted murder.
On April 5, at approximately 7:30 a.m., the San Diego Police Communications Center received a report of an assault with a deadly weapon at the basketball court at 2800 L Street.
The initial information was that a male was hitting a person in a sleeping bag with a three-foot piece of wood. The suspect was described as a black male wearing a light-colored blanket, dark “hoodie” and dark pants, with a backpack.
Patrol officers responded to the scene and located a male lying on the basketball court covered with a blanket. He had suffered from traumatic injuries to his upper body. Medics transported the man to a local hospital.
On April 7, the victim died from his injuries. Detectives are working to change the charge from attempted murder to murder. The investigation is ongoing.
Anyone with information regarding this incident is encouraged to call the Homicide Unit at (619) 531-2293 or Crime Stoppers at (888) 580-8477.
