SJPD police seek female stabbing suspect, Navy veteran killed: neighbor

SAN JOSE, Calif. (Azenith Smith/KTVU) - San Jose police are searching for a woman who they say stabbed a man to death and took off. The deadly confrontation happened on Sunday just before 10 a.m. on the 700 block of South Second Street in downtown San Jose.

For nine hours, crime tape and police cars surrounded the downtown San Jose home Sunday searching for clues in the fatal stabbing. KTVU spoke to a woman who asked not to be identified and said the victim was her friend.

“He was a good person,” said the victim’s friend. “He helped me a lot and it's really messed up that he died.”

With blood on her jeans and visible cuts on her hands, she claims she was with the victim when he was stabbed in his house.

“He got sliced in the leg,” said the victim’s friend. “Someone tried to stab me and he got in the way and unfortunately he passed away.”

When police got there, they found a man with at least one stab wound. He was rushed to the hospital where he later died.

Crime scene investigators spent the day gathering evidence inside the house and in a parking lot behind the home, combing through what neighbors said was the victim's white truck.

“Not shocked at all,” said the victim’s next door neighbor Kerry. “He's had trouble with a lot of street people around.”
               
Kerry, the victim’s next door neighbor, said the victim's name was Mark. He said he was in his late 50's, early 60's and was a retired Navy veteran. He said police had been called to the home several times before. He doesn't believe it was a random attack.

“He was not going down the right path,” said Kerry. “I tried to tell him, don’t have these people around. You will run into problems and he didn't listen.”

Neighbors are shocked and saddened, saying the violence appears to be escalating.

“I’m scared because I’m living five years over here and I see the different people,” said Neighbor Rozio Miranda.

“There's another stabbing in San Jose,” said Neighbor Azazel Strickland. “We don't want another stabbing in San Jose.”

Less than a mile away, a 20-year-old woman from Marina was shot and killed on South 10th Street last Monday. Her killer is on the loose.

The violence comes as city leaders are trying to clean up downtown.

“I see buildings being remodeled,” said Strickland. “I’m pretty sure San Jose is trying to make a name for itself.”

This is the San Jose’s 16th homicide of the year. Police did not release any information on the suspect. The identity of the victim has not been released until next of kin has been notified.