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Father fatally stabbed while walking with son near school
A father was stabbed to death outside Commodore Sloat Elementary Police, and a suspect was arrested within 48 hours.
SAN FRANCISCO - A father walking with his son was stabbed to death outside Commodore Sloat Elementary School, the San Francisco mayor and police said on Friday, and a suspect was arrested within 48 hours.
At a joint press conference, Mayor Daniel Lurie made the announcement, crediting the police for their quick work in arresting 42-year-old Daniel Patrick Rodriguez for Wednesday's stabbing at Junipero Serra Boulevard and Ocean Avenue.
Interim San Francisco Police Chief Paul Yep said the arrest was made about 9 a.m. on Friday in Tuolomne County, calling the homicide "horrific." Rodriguez will be brought back to San Francisco and be booked in the county jail.
He said the father – later identified by the San Francisco Office of the Chief Medical Examiner as 35-year-old Robert Paul Byrd II – was fatally stabbed while crossing the street with his son, after getting into some sort of argument with Rodriguez. The stabbing was reported about 4:40 p.m., just about pickup time from school. A man who identified himself as the boy's grandfather said his grandson is 8 years old.
Yep did not describe what the two fought about or whether they had any prior relationship.
When asked by a reporter about this, Yep said he couldn't speak to that issue, adding that the case is "under investigation."
Authorities stressed this wasn't a random act of violence. It also wasn't clear why Rodriguez was found in Tuolomne County.
SkyFOX over a non-fatal stabbing in San Francisco at Junipero Serra Boulevard on Sept. 10, 2025.
"Our hearts go out to the victim and his family," Yep said. "In this case, we did everything we can to ensure justice is served."
Yep said that more than 60 officers worked on this case and used technology like Automated Licence Plate Readers and drones to identify Rodriguez and find him.
Despite this stabbing death outside an elementary school, Yep said he wanted to "underscore that although this case is devastating, San Francisco remains one of the safest big cities in the nation."
District Attorney Brooke Jenkins said her office is already looking at the case and her prosecutors will make a charging decision over the next 48 to 72 hours.
San Francisco Unified Supt. Maria Su, who added that her children went to this same elementary school and who lives in the neighborhood, said she has been in contact with the boy's mother, trying to provide her with assistance.
Su added that she has provided care for the student, mother and grandmother and is considering starting "empathy circles" at school for when the student returns.
Editor's note: An earlier version of this story incorrectly identified Paul Yep as the chief of police. A correction has been made.